Hefner Delivers Lectures at Two Leading Universities in Indonesia
On August 10 and 11, 2026, Professor Robert Hefner delivered three lectures at two renowned Indonesian institutions—Satya Wacana Christian University and Walisongo State Islamic University. Islam, Indonesia, and global affairs were central themes of Hefner’s talks.
The Study of Religion and Christian-Muslim Relations at Satya Wacana Christian University, one of Indonesia’s leading centers for the study of Christian-Muslim relations, invited Hefner as part of its 2026 Distinguished Speaker Series. In his keynote lecture, “Challenges and Prospects for Christian-Muslim Studies in Higher Education,” Hefner examined how scholarship on Christian-Muslim relations has evolved over the past three decades and discussed key challenges facing the field today.
At Walisongo State Islamic University, a prominent state-funded academic institution, Hefner delivered a lecture titled “Indonesian Islam and Global Affairs.” Attended by approximately 200 people, the talk explored Southeast Asian country’s potential role as the world grapples with tensions surrounding religious and civilizational divides.
On the second day, Hefner returned to Satya Wacana Christian University for a keynote address hosted by the Faculties of Education, Arts and Languages, and Theology. In “Intercultural Leadership in a Multicultural Society: Lessons Learned from Contemporary Indonesia and the United States,” Hefner discussed the challenges and responsibilities of democratic leadership in multicultural societies like Indonesia and America.
Robert Hefner is the professor of anthropology and international relations at Boston University. He has directed 19 research projects and organized 18 international conferences, and authored or edited 19 books. He is the former president of the Association for Asian Studies. At CURA, he has directed the program on Islam and civil society since 1991; has coordinated interdisciplinary research and public policy programs on religion, pluralism, and world affairs; and is currently involved in two research projects: “The New Western Plurality and Civic Coexistence: Muslims, Catholics, and Secularists in North America and Western Europe”; and “Sharia Transitions: Islamic Law and Ethical Plurality in the Contemporary World.” Read more about Professor Hefner on his faculty profile.