As an internationally based educational institution that persistently innovates, Thursina International Islamic Boarding School (IIBS) has once again taken strategic steps to improve the quality of learning and institutional management.
Thursina visited four renowned institutions through the Experiential Visit Unit of Education program : Ciputra University Surabaya, Hang Tuah University Surabaya, Western Sydney University Indonesia, and Grand Mercure Hotel Mirama Malang. It is part of Thursina's commitment to foster human resource capacity in academics, religious studies, and student services to meet global education standards.
Ustaz Muhammad Rajab, M.Pd.I., the Chief of Education at Thursina IIBS, said, the agenda is a concrete manifestation of the values of Religious, Caring, Open-Minded, and Inspiring (RECODING) for teachers and educational staff. "We want all educators and assistants in Thursina IIBS to have firsthand experience in the professional and academic world based on global standards. It is where innovation and quality improvement would grow," explained the alumnus of the Al-Ishlah Islamic Boarding School, Bondowoso.
Each visit has a different focus and learning outcomes, but they are all connected by a vital goal: building a holistic, measurable, and character-based education system.
The first visit was conducted by murobbi and murobbīyah teams to Grand Mercure Hotel Mirama Malang, focusing on benchmarking international standards of cleanliness and hygiene. The participants learned about a neat and professional environmental management system, including the implementation of a hospitality attitude and the cleanliness of public spaces. Hopefully, the experience can be applied in the IIBS dormitory to create a more comfortable, hygienic, and healthy learning environment for all students.
Meanwhile, academic and religious teachers were divided into three groups, each visiting Ciputra University, Hang Tuah University, and Western Sydney University Indonesia. The purpose was to advance their technology-based pedagogical skills, including how digital learning tools, interactive learning methods, and data-driven evaluation strategies are applied in higher education.
"We learned firsthand how major universities integrate technology into teaching and learning process without abandoning excellent character values and learning culture," said Ustaz Rajab.
Furthermore, the Student Learning Assistance (SLA) team participated in the program by visiting Hang Tuah University in Surabaya. The learning focused on upgrading the competencies of school counselors, particularly in the areas of behavioral guidance, addiction prevention, and youth education.
SLA staff receive direct training and insight from educational psychology practitioners on a holistic approach to student character development, which aligns with Thursina's vision of building a balance in intellectual, emotional, and spiritual intelligence.
Furthermore, Ustaz Rajab emphasized that experiential visits like this will become a regular program in Thursina's professional development calendar as an effort to rejuvenate the system and competencies of the teachers and murobbi/murobbiah of Thursina IIBS.
"We not only want to be a school with high standards, but also an institution that keeps learning. Because a good teacher is a teacher who never stops learning," he asserted.
"Hopefully, the results of this visit can be implemented in the form of learning and nurturing programs that are more adaptive, innovative, and inspiring, while simultaneously making Thursina IIBS a center of excellence in character-based and internationally-minded education," concluded the Master of Islamic Education from Muhammadiyah University of Malang (UMM). (iz./lil)
