At the closing ceremony of the 14th Farabi International Award, Professor Mulyadhi Kartanegara was recognized as a Distinguished Researcher in Islamic Studies by the jury committee, and his lifetime contributions to Islamic Studies, particularly in the field of Islamic philosophy, were honored on Monday, July 10, 2023.
He was born on June 11, 1959, in Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia. He went to a public elementary school in the morning and a religious school in the afternoon. After graduating from elementary school, he continued his education at PGA (the Education for Religious Teachers) and graduated in 1975.
He continued his education at a Preparatory School for the State Islamic Institute (SP IAIN) and graduated in 1977. Then, he entered IAIN (State Islamic Institute) Jakarta a year later and graduated in 1985.
Kartanegara got the Fulbright scholarship for a master’s program at the University of Chicago, USA, and graduated in 1989. A year later, he got another Fulbright scholarship to pursue a PhD program and completed it in 1986 writing Mukhtasar Siwan al-Hikmah of Umar b. Sahlan al-Sawi as his dissertation.
Upon finishing his Ph.D. program, he returned to his home country and resumed his teaching position at his previous university. Afterward, he taught philosophy at several top universities in Jakarta, such as UI and UPM, and later at UGM Yogyakarta.
From 2000 to 2007, he wrote some important works in philosophy, mysticism, and science, such as Menembus Batas Waktu, Mizan 2002; Introduction to Islamic Epistemology (Mizan 2003), The Gate of Wisdom: An Introduction to Islamic Philosophy (2005), Diving into the Heart of Sufism (2007) and Science and Mathematics in Islam (2012).
At the same period, he also wrote other important works on Islamic scientific tradition: The Integration of Knowledge: A Holistic Reconstruction (Arasy, 2005), and Reactualization of Islamic Scientific Tradition (Baitul Ihsan, 2006).
His latest literary works include "The Lantern of Life: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding God, Nature, and Humanity" and "Exploring the Vast Ocean of Knowledge: An Autobiography" spanning six volumes.
In 2005, he was granted a professorship in Islamic philosophy, and got a chance to teach abroad: ISTAC, Malaysia (2009) and UBD Brunei Darussalam (2013-2020).
In 2006, he founded CIPSI (Center for Islamic Philosophical Studies and Information), and since then,he has been its director until now.