Agus Rochani, a native of Karanganyar Regency, has reached a significant milestone in his academic career. On September 17, 2024, he successfully defended his dissertation titled “The Production of Charitable Space in the Persistence of Waqf in Semarang City” in a closed doctoral promotion session at Diponegoro University (UNDIP). The session, chaired by Dr. Ir. Atiek Suprapti, MT., was conducted in a hybrid format at the Faculty of Engineering building of UNDIP.
With this achievement, Agus Rochani became the 91st doctoral graduate from the Doctoral Program in Architecture and Urban Studies, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, UNDIP. The internal examination committee consisted of Prof. Dr. Ir. Atiek Suprapti, MT, Prof. Dr. Mudjahirin Thohir, MA, and Dr. Musadun, ST. Msi. Prof. Dr. Istijabatul Aliyah, ST. MT. from Sebelas Maret University in Surakarta served as the external examiner. Throughout the dissertation process, Agus was guided by Prof. Dr. Ir. Nany Yuliastuti, MSP as his promoter and Dr. Ir. Budi Sudarwanto, Msi. as co-promoter.
Born on November 16, 1973, Agus completed his doctoral studies in 4 years and 3 days. His research, focusing on waqf (Islamic endowment), falls under the broader field of architecture and urban studies, specifically within the subfield of settlement studies. This topic was chosen due to the unique nature of waqf spaces, which integrate ritual, social, and spatial aspects.
Semarang was selected as the research location due to its long history in developing waqf spaces. With its diverse geographical features, ranging from coastal areas to hilly terrain, and varying levels of urbanization, Semarang provided an ideal context for observing the adaptation and resilience of waqf practices in various urban settings.
The main finding of the dissertation is the concept of waqf charitable space production, formed through the dialectic of three elements: space conceptualization based on “ongoing charity” (amal jariah), multifunctional physical implementation of “khoiry” (goodness), and symbolic interpretation as an adaptive sacred space. This theory enriches Henri Lefebvre’s thoughts on social space production by adding spiritual and cultural dimensions, demonstrating the active role of faith-based institutions like waqf in shaping urban landscapes.
During his studies, Agus Rochani, who is married to Dwi Wahyuningsih, received support from the Doctoral Dissertation Program of the Directorate General of Higher Education. This program helped accelerate the completion of his dissertation and resulted in several scientific publications. Two of his journal articles, “The existence of waqf in establishing a sustainable communal space” and “The Concept of Sustainable Waqf Space in Urban Kampong: The Case of Kampong Kauman, Semarang”, were published in the Scopus-indexed Journal of Islamic Architecture, UIN Malang.
Additionally, Agus presented three papers at international conferences, with proceedings published by IOP and indexed in Scopus. These papers discussed philanthropy in settlement infrastructure development, the territoriality of waqf-based communal spaces in urban kampongs, and the concept of waqf-based communal spaces supporting coastal community independence.
Furthermore, Agus Rochani contributed a chapter to the book “Philanthropic Funds for Development in Indonesia; Creativity of Mosque-Based Islamic Philanthropy in Shaping Community Independence”. This book was published through a collaboration between IIGF Institute, PT. Penjaminan Infrastruktur Indonesia (Persero), LPDP, and Mata Garuda.
Agus Rochani’s academic achievements demonstrate a significant contribution to understanding the role of waqf in developing inclusive and sustainable cities, as well as its potential as an alternative solution in modern urban planning.
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