Mariam Ulpah, an MA student at the Faculty of Education at UIII, recently attended the 4th ANU Religion Conference 2023, which was held on 13-15 April 2023 at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australia. Despite being the only master's student among PhD candidates and other professors, Mariam was granted an exception to attend due to the relevance of her paper, "Critical Thinking Instruction in Islamic Higher Education: Investigating Lecturers' Perception and Approaches," which explores how to integrate critical thinking into religious beliefs.
The conference, organized by the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, brought together 102 participants from approximately 20 different countries, including the USA, UK, Germany, Italy, Canada, Iran, Pakistan, Nigeria, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Taiwan, China, and Korea. The attendees included professors, lecturers, PhD candidates, and representatives from various associations.
Mariam's paper stood out among the impressive presentations, earning her two awards: “the Best Paper Award” and “the Student Bursary in Recognition of Outstanding and Active Participation” at the Conference. The former comes with a certificate of appreciation and 500 Australian dollars, while the latter includes 200 Australian dollars and an award certificate.
Mariam's success at the conference was made possible by the support of her UIII Faculty and Campus, who provided both material and other forms of assistance. Mariam feels grateful to have had the opportunity to attend such a prestigious international conference, and her experience highlights the benefits of her rigorous education at UIII's Faculty of Education. As Mariam continues her studies and research, she is confident in her ability to compete internationally and contribute to the field of critical thinking instruction in Islamic higher education.