Dr. Arwin Juli Rakhmadi Butar-Butar, Head of the Astronomy Observatory of the Muhammadiyah University of North Sumatra (OIF UMSU), has completed an academic trip to Egypt in mid-September 2024. He was involved in a series of scientific activities, research, and meetings with various academics and Indonesian student communities in Egypt for 10 days.
One of the main agendas of the trip was his participation as a speaker in a limited forum at the Indonesian Cultural Center in Cairo (Al-Markaz ats-Tsaqafy al-Indunisiy). Dr. Arwin delivered material on astronomy to Egyptian students and scholars from various fields. Interestingly, the presentation was done in Arabic, which showed his skill in communicating with the participants, the majority of whom were from Egypt.
Not only involved in discussion activities, Dr. Arwin also led research on 9th century Hijri (15th AD) astronomical manuscripts stored in several leading institutions in Egypt, such as the National Library of Egypt (Darul Kutub al-Mishriyyah), the Arabic Manuscript Institute (Ma’had al-Makhthuthat al-‘Arabiyyah), and the Al-Azhar Library. This research aims to examine in more depth the characteristics and construction of these astronomical manuscripts, which will later be linked to modern astronomical studies. This research is part of a collaborative project between the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and Egyptian academics.
In addition to research activities, the Head of OIF UMSU also established relationships with Egyptian academics, such as Dr. Mahmud Mahdi Ibrahim from Misr University for Science & Technology, who together expanded research collaboration in the fields of astronomical and astronomy.
This visit also strengthened ties with the Muhammadiyah community in Cairo, where Dr. Arwin met with students who are members of PCIM Cairo. The students, the majority of whom are studying for their Masters and Doctoral degrees, asked for guidance and direction from Dr. Dr. Arwin related to the development of literacy and science in Egypt. On that occasion, Dr. Arwin also handed over several of his written books to enrich the literacy collection in the PCIM Cairo library.
To conclude his visit, Dr. Arwin visited the Helwan Observatory, one of the oldest and most influential observatories in Africa and the Arab world, which was founded in 1903. This observatory has also been recognized as a UNESCO heritage site. At the Helwan Observatory, Dr. Arwin had the opportunity to introduce OIF UMSU to the professors and researchers there. He also met with the director of the observatory, Prof. Dr. Taha Rabeh, in order to discuss potential future collaborations. This visit was also a nostalgic moment for Dr. Arwin, who had conducted research in the same place while completing his doctoral studies in Egypt.
This academic journey not only strengthened the position of OIF UMSU as a leading astronomical research center in Indonesia, but also further strengthened the UMSU Astronomy Study Program which was only 2 years old. The success of Dr. Arwin in presenting the achievements of OIF and this study program in international forums is an important step in improving UMSU’s reputation as an institution that is able to play a role in the global academic world, especially in the field of astronomy.
