Padepokan Aufklarung: Condensing the Philosophy Curriculum for University Students

Makassar, January 19, 2026 — The Short Course Padepokan Aufklarung VI, organized by Al Hikmah Institute Makassar in collaboration with the Centre for Eastern Indonesian Studies (CEIS), featured a number of speakers from academic and activist backgrounds. One of them was Hasnulir Nur, an NGO activist and lecturer at Al Hikmah Institute Makassar, who delivered a session on epistemology.

On the sidelines of the event, Mohammad Fati Farhat from the Al Hikmah Institute team interviewed Hasnulir about the concept, background, and expectations of Padepokan Aufklarung. According to him, Aufklarung is positioned as a learning format that “condenses” Al-Hikmah’s regular curriculum so that it can be accessed by students who have not yet received foundational courses in logic, epistemology, and Islamic philosophy during their university studies.

“Padepokan Aufklarung is a routine program organized by Al Hikmah Institute. Essentially, it condenses the regular curriculum at Al-Hikmah to reach students who have not yet studied subjects such as logic, epistemology, and Islamic philosophy,” said Hasnulir.

He explained that this model allows participants to receive material equivalent to a one-year regular program, but within a compressed time frame. While the regular program targets high school graduates preparing to enter higher education, Aufklarung is designed for university students who wish to strengthen their intellectual foundations.

According to Hasnulir, the establishment of Aufklarung stems from the need to broaden access to knowledge. He believes that subjects such as logic, epistemology, and Islamic philosophy are rarely taught in universities, even though they are crucial for entering the world of thought, intellectual inquiry, and scholarship.

“The materials taught in Padepokan Aufklarung are not taught in universities, even though they are very important for entering the world of thought, the intellectual world, and the world of knowledge,” he said.

The main activity undertaken by participants, he continued, is group discussion after attending classroom sessions. This pattern is intended to train participants to process ideas critically and dialogically.

In addition to intellectual development, Aufklarung also instills fundamental values such as honesty, discipline, responsibility, respect for others, and devotion to God Almighty. These values are applied both in the learning process and in daily life throughout the program.

Looking ahead, Hasnulir hopes that Aufklarung will reach a wider audience. He also expects that alumni will be able to contribute to intellectual discourse in their respective environments, especially as long as the national education curriculum has not adequately accommodated logic, epistemology, and philosophy.

Closing the interview, Hasnulir delivered a special message to young people: “Study logic, study epistemology, and philosophy. Because knowledge and truth will have a stronger foundation when we learn logic, epistemology, and philosophy.”