The Expansion of Islamic Economics Programs and Graduate Absorption in the Islamic Finance Industry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59944/jipsi.v5i2.1613Keywords:
Islamic Economics; higher education; program expansion; graduate absorption; Islamic finance industry; labor market mismatchAbstract
The rapid expansion of Islamic Economics programs in Indonesian higher education has contributed to a growing supply of graduates with academic backgrounds in Islamic economics and finance. However, the extent to which this educational expansion is aligned with the employment capacity and human resource requirements of Indonesia’s Islamic finance industry remains insufficiently examined. This study aims to analyze the development of Islamic Economics programs and the absorption of their graduates within the Islamic finance industry in Indonesia. The study employs a quantitative descriptive approach using secondary data obtained from higher education statistics, graduate data, and official reports on the development of Indonesia’s Islamic finance industry. The analysis focuses on trends in the number of Islamic Economics programs, student and graduate populations, and graduate employment relative to the growth of the Islamic finance sector. The findings indicate that the expansion of Islamic Economics programs has increased the supply of graduates, but this growth has not necessarily been accompanied by proportional employment absorption within the Islamic finance industry. The emerging gap suggests a potential mismatch between the competencies produced by higher education institutions and the evolving human resource requirements of the industry. The study argues that strengthening curriculum relevance, industry–university collaboration, competency certification, and work-integrated learning is essential to improve graduate employability. These findings provide implications for higher education institutions, policymakers, and Islamic finance industry stakeholders in developing a more responsive and sustainable Islamic finance human resource ecosystem in Indonesia.
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