Padang Panjang — The Faculty of Ushuluddin, Adab, and Da‘wah (FUAD) of Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Mahmud Yunus Batusangkar, in collaboration with STAI Imam Bonjol Padang Panjang and the Patani Muslim Students Association from Southern Thailand, organized an International Collaborative Workshop titled “Collaborative Problem Solving Challenge.” The two-day workshop was held at the Main Hall of STAI Imam Bonjol Padang Panjang on December 8–9, 2025.
The workshop featured three expert speakers in the field of disaster management: Dedi Abdul Kadir, representing a non-governmental organization in West Sumatra, who delivered a session on Disaster Management; Dody S from the Tanah Datar Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), who presented Rescue Operation Patterns and Systems in Disasters; and Doni R from Padang Panjang City, who discussed Disaster Volunteer Management.
Participants included lecturers, administrative staff, and students from various study programs at the Faculty of Ushuluddin, Adab, and Da‘wah, UIN Mahmud Yunus Batusangkar—namely Islamic Psychology (15 participants), Islamic Communication and Broadcasting (8), Qur’anic Studies and Tafsir (7), Islamic Community Development (4), Islamic Political Thought (3), Islamic Library and Information Science (4), and Islamic Journalism (2). The workshop also involved seven students from STAI Imam Bonjol Padang Panjang and three representatives of the Patani Muslim Students Association from Southern Thailand. This cross-institutional and cross-national collaboration became a defining feature and added significant value to the workshop by broadening perspectives and strengthening disaster-related networks.
The event was attended by the Chairperson of STAI Imam Bonjol Padang Panjang, Dr. Asrizallis, S.Sos., M.Pd.I., MM., MH., M.Sn., M.Si., M.Sos. The workshop was officially opened by the Dean of the Faculty of Ushuluddin, Adab, and Da‘wah, UIN Mahmud Yunus Batusangkar, Dr. Wahida Fitriani, S.Psi. MA.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Wahida Fitriani emphasized the importance of collaboration among academics, government institutions, and civil society in responding to the frequent natural disasters affecting West Sumatra. “This workshop is a strategic initial step toward building shared guidelines and readiness to serve communities in post-disaster situations,” she stated.
The workshop was initiated by Riki Rikarno, M.Sn, Head of the Islamic Communication and Broadcasting Study Program, and was directly implemented by Mutya Aini Ahmad, M.Psi, a young lecturer in the Islamic Psychology Program. The initiative responded to the increasing intensity of disasters in West Sumatra in recent months, including floods, flash floods, landslides, and strong winds. Through this activity, the three institutions aim to strengthen human resource capacity, develop collaborative working models, and formulate concrete steps for post-disaster community service.
By applying a collaborative problem-solving approach, the workshop is expected not only to provide theoretical understanding but also to encourage practical, well-coordinated, and sustainable disaster preparedness and response efforts.