Minister of Religious Affairs KH Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has often emphasized the importance of each PTKIN's branding (characteristics). Distinctive and distinguishing features will become increasingly significant in both national and community settings. Prof. Ali Ramdhani, Secretary General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and Prof. Zainul Hamdi, Director of Higher Education, both reiterated this point repeatedly. UIN Sunan Kalijaga sees it as both a task and a calling. When the branding was adopted, the UIN Yogyakarta received the most interest among Indonesia's 59 PTKINs in 2021, 2022, 20203, and possibly 2024. The academic community at UIN Sunan Kalijaga should be grateful and continue to think optimistically about the steps achieved.

On March 29 2024 the national committee of SPAN PTKIN (National Academic Achievement Selection for State Islamic Higher Education) held a graduation session in Jakarta. UIN Sunan Kalijaga will not only accept the most applicants in 2024, but also the 7 most demanding study programs (prodi) at the national level in the student admission system via the SPAN route. At the national level, ten preferred academic programs are selected by prospective students. Seven UIN Sunan Kalijaga study programs dominate. The other two study programs are from UIN Sunan Gunung Jati Bandung, and one from UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.

The most favorite is the Islamic Guidance and Counseling study program, faculty of Da'wah, Islam, UIN Sunan Kalijaga, which has a capacity of only 19. The total number of applicants is 3783. The strictness reaches 1:200. Only one out of every two hundred applications is accepted. Islamic Religious Education, Tarbiyah faculty, UIN Sunan Kalijaga comes in second with a score of 1:199. There were 4764 applicants, with 24 places awarded. The third option is Islamic Communication and Broadcasting, Da'wah faculty at UIN Sunan Kalijaga. 3997 applications competed for 23 places. The level of strictness is 1:147. Sharia economics is ranked fourth at the Faculty of Islamic Economics and Business (FEBI), with a strictness of 1:154. There are 4897 candidates and just 32 seats available.

Prospective students also like the Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Teacher Education Study Program, Tarbiyah faculty, and UIN Sunan Kalijaga campus. This study program welcomed 2451 candidates via the SPAN route, competing for 20 available seats. The level of precision is 1:123. Meanwhile, 3662 prospective students are interested in the Sharia Banking study program offered by the FEBI faculty. The available seats total 32. Therefore, the competition is 1:115.
Sharia Financial Management, FEBI, is the sixth study program of UIN Sunan Kalijaga to make the top ten list, with 3117 candidates. There are thirty-two seats available. The strictness level is 1:98.

The seven most popular study programs are spread among three faculties: Da'wah, FEBI, and Tarbiyah. Economics is, of course, quite popular with PTKI. The faculty has formed numerous relationships with banks, businesses, and BUMNs (government-owned enterprises). Domestic and international cooperation is frequently carried out. FEBI often hosts international and national seminars. The event featured a number of experienced national and international speakers. FEBI regularly sends teachers and students overseas for the MBKM (Free Learning Curriculum) programme. As a result, it is understandable that FEBI UIN Sunan Kalijaga piques the curiosity of many potential students, given the media, prospective students, and parents' interest in the institution over the last three years.

Tarbiyah is an older faculty that continues to capture the interest of prospective students. Tarbiyah's study programs typically offer definite work options. Teaching is a great job. This occupation is also easy to acquire employment in. The enormous number of primary and secondary schools in Indonesia makes Tarbiyah's study programs highly sought after. Tarbiyah, like FEBI, has engaged in a variety of activities during the previous three years, including international seminars, MBKM, and engagement with government entities.

The Faculty of Da'wah has followed a distinctive route through history. The Faculty of Da'wah was once part of the Ushuluddin faculty but later became independent. Thirty years ago, the Da'wah faculty did not receive much attention. Many people ranked study programs at the Da'wah faculty as their second choice. However, since the introduction of new study programs that are in line with the demands of society, the market, and current professions, the Da'wah faculty has grown in popularity. Islamic Guidance and Counseling is popular because it focuses on psychology while also addressing the issues that millennial generation face. Islamic Guidance and Counseling is the most popular academic program.

Similarly, the Islamic Communication and Broadcasting studies programme. Because of the needs of today's digital environment, this study program has grown in popularity. This study program does teach students about journalism and communication in general. The market need this, and the country too, definitely.

UIN Sunan Kalijaga has been the preferred PTKI in several registration versions over the last three years (2021, 2022, and 2023), including SPAN, UMPTKIN, and the Mandiri route. Three years later, the branding for UIN Sunan Kalijaga seemed to have caught on with the public. UIN Sunan Kalijaga seeks to be a welcoming, safe, and comfortable campus for all faiths, groups, and community organizations. This image was created through a series of events and considerable efforts. Student performance continues to improve at both the national and international levels. National and international events are frequently held on this campus.

An artistic approach is also applied. Several times, the UIN Sunan Kalijaga has hosted painting exhibitions, on-the-spot painting, and so on. Each event is curated by someone with a degree in art, music, dance, or painting. In compliance with the instructions of Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas.

The public's trust in UIN Sunan Kalijaga should not be squandered or neglected. The campus known as Javanese Wali must exemplify the wali’s characters: welcoming to culture, the arts, and all groups, professional, dedicated, and regionally and internationally focused.

This article has been published on other websites, one of which is arina.id

https://arina.id/khazanah/ar-4AJId/branding-perguruan-keagamaan-tinggi-islam--angkat-dan-dampak-uin-sunan-kalijaga-yogyakarta

(Al Makin, Chancellor of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta)