There are names that live in citations. And then there are names that live in people.

On a soft Monday afternoon in Yogyakarta, in the hallways of UIN Sunan Kalijaga’s Graduate School, scholars, students, and teachers gathered—not simply to launch a book, but to honor a life of inquiry. The occasion was the unveiling of Trajectories of Indonesian Islam: Festschrift in Honour of Martin van Bruinessen—a collective tribute to a man who, quietly and patiently, changed how we understand Islam in Indonesia.

This was not a celebration with fanfare. It was something more tender, more enduring.

Martin van Bruinessen, a scholar from Utrecht University, never set out to be celebrated. But what he built—across classrooms, across continents, across generations—is precisely the kind of legacy that cannot be contained in a single volume. It lives on in his students. It echoes in the questions they ask, in the bridges they build, in the rigor and humility with which they think.

Prof. Noorhaidi Hasan, Rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, opened the event not with official fanfare, but with a deeply personal reflection.

“He is not merely a name in bibliographies,” he said.
“He is a window through which we’ve come to understand the intricate tapestry of Islam in Indonesia.”
As a former student of van Bruinessen during his years in the Netherlands, Noorhaidi spoke not just as a rector, but as a witness to the slow, deliberate work of a teacher who shaped minds not through charisma, but through presence.

“His writings are foundational,” Noorhaidi continued.
“But what remains with me is his spirit—his endless curiosity, his kindness, and his devotion to dialogue across borders.”

The book launched that day is a scholarly mosaic—edited by Prof. Farish A. Noor and Prof. Dr. Moch. Nur Ichwan—featuring contributions from leading Indonesian scholars, many of whom had once sat in van Bruinessen’s classrooms. Among them were Prof. Euis Nurlaelawati and Prof. Muhammad Wildan, both of whom shared not just intellectual lineage, but a shared time and place in the academic halls of the Netherlands.

“This book,” said Prof. Ichwan, “is not just a compilation of essays.
It is a journey of minds, woven together in reverence, shaped by the spirit of a teacher who never stopped asking.”

From the podium, Prof. Syafa’atun Almirzanah shared her own memory: sitting as a student in a classroom in Europe, listening to a man whose work would one day inspire volumes like the one being launched.

“This is a testament to the networks he built—not in haste, but through care,” she said.
“But beyond that, it shows the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in understanding Islam in all its diversity.”

And then, quietly, he appeared.

Prof. Martin van Bruinessen, now an elder among the scholars, joined the event virtually. His presence filled the room—not with grandeur, but with gratitude.

“I am deeply touched,” he said, softly.
“To see my students and colleagues carry forward these conversations—it’s a joy beyond words.”
And to the next generation, he offered this:
“Keep the dialogue open. Nurture the spirit of intellectual openness. Celebrate diversity.”

Those words hung in the room—simple, but charged with meaning. Because this, perhaps, is van Bruinessen’s true legacy: the reminder that scholarship is not about domination or finality, but about keeping questions alive. It is about being willing to listen—to different voices, from different places, across time.

The choice of Yogyakarta as the setting for this tribute felt almost inevitable—like a calling that found its home. The city is not only a center of Islamic intellectualism, but a living space where diversity, dialogue, and coexistence are constantly nurtured. Amid its vibrant cultural rhythm, UIN Sunan Kalijaga stands as a true embodiment of openness and the ceaseless pursuit of knowledge.

This was more than a ceremonial launch. It was a gentle affirmation: that the work of knowledge, when built in sincerity and shared in humility, does not end with one generation. It carries on—in papers and books, yes, but most deeply in people.

Not every tribute is spoken. Some are lived.

And as the attendees dispersed—carrying books, memories, and perhaps even quiet tears—it was clear: Martin van Bruinessen did not simply study Islam in Indonesia. He helped shape a generation now ready to share it with the world.

In a time when speed is praised and attention is fleeting, Martin van Bruinessen reminds us of something enduring: the slow, careful art of listening. And for that, the world of scholarship will remain forever in his debt. (humassk)