ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the major reform alternatives considered, and challenges faced, by UIN (State Islamic University) Syariah and Law faculties seeking to avoid being left behind by increasing competition and modernisation in Indonesia's tertiary sector. It begins with a brief overview of the wider UIN system and the recent curriculum review process, before discussing the main areas that need reform, and the factors that drive it: the increasingly competitive legal education and employment markets; the need to include more conventional law content without compromising the distinctiveness of the education that UINs provide; the shortcomings of the relatively insular and inflexible ‘study programme’ (program studi, Prodi) system; staffing issues; lecturer and student workloads; practical legal education programmes; and limited facilities. The chapter concludes that many UIN Syariah and Law faculties have made significant progress in recent decades, but the path to successful reform remains a long one.
