Integration of Daʼwah and Public Policy in Advancing Pesantren Educational Autonomy: An Analysis of the Roles of the Government and the Indonesian Ulama Council

Abstract

Islamic boarding schools (pesantren), recognized as Indonesia’s oldest indigenous educational institutions, confront multidimensional challenges encompassing chronic funding constraints, institutional governance deficiencies, and uneven technological adoption. This study addresses a pressing scholarly gap: the absence of an integrative analytical framework capable of operationalizing the complementary roles of state actors and religious authorities in fostering sustainable pesantren autonomy. Accordingly, the article examines how the convergence of daʼwah functions and public policy instruments channeled through strategic synergy between the Indonesian government and the Indonesian Ulama Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI) can catalyze the transformation of pesantren into self-reliant, adaptive, and internationally competitive educational institutions. Employing a qualitative methodology grounded in systematic library research and descriptive-analytical inquiry, the study draws upon academic literature, statutory regulations, official institutional documents, and relevant prior scholarship. Findings reveal that governmental contributions operate across three principal dimensions: regulatory frameworks anchored in the Pesantren Law of 2019, targeted fiscal allocations, and capacity-building initiatives encompassing economic empowerment and digital transformation programs. Concurrently, MUI functions as a moral-religious authority whose institutional legitimacy reinforces daʼwah credibility and advances Islamic moderation within pesantren ecosystems. The convergence of these two actors when structured around transparent coordination mechanisms demonstrates substantial potential for driving the structural evolution of pesantren from conventionally managed traditional institutions toward highly competitive centers of Islamic education.