Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University Yogyakarta is one of Indonesia's state Islamic universities, located at Jl. Marsda Adisucipto, Yogyakarta, Indonesia 55281. Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University is the oldest state Islamic higher education institution in the country. On October 14, 2004, the university experienced an institutional transformation, changing the former Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic Institute (IAIN) into Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University (UIN). 

1951 - 1960 Pioneering Period

This period began with the conversion of the Faculty of Religion at the Islamic University of Indonesia (UII) from private university to state university or called Islamic Higher Education Institution (PTAIN), which was regulated by Presidential Decree No. 34 of 1950 dated August 14, 1950, and the inauguration of PTAIN on September 26, 1951. During this period, there was also a merger between PTAIN (established based on Presidential Regulation No. 34 of 1950) and ADIA (established based on the Decree of the Minister of Religion No. 1 of 1957) with the issuance of Presidential Regulation No. 11 of 1960 dated May 9, 1960 concerning the Establishment of the State Islamic Institute (IAIN) with the name Al-Jami'ah al-Islamiyah al-Hukumiyah. During this period, PTAIN was under the leadership of KHR Moh Adnan (1951-1959) and Prof. Dr. H. Mukhtar Yahya (1959-1960)

1960 - 1972 Foundation Period

This period was marked by the Inauguration of IAIN on August 24, 1960. During this period, IAIN was split into two institutions. The first was based in Yogyakarta and the second in Jakarta, based on Religious Decree No. 49 of 1963 dated February 25, 1963. During this period, IAIN Yogyakarta was renamed IAIN Sunan Kalijaga based on the Minister of Religious Affairs Decree No. 26 of 1965 dated July 1, 1965. During this period, educational facilities and infrastructure were developed, beginning with the relocation of the old campus (on Jalan Simanjuntak, which is now the MAN 1 Yogyakarta building) to a new, much larger campus (on Jalan Marsda Adisucipto Yogyakarta). A number of faculty buildings were constructed, and in the middle of them, a mosque was built, which still stands today. The education system during this period was still ‘free’ in nature, as students were given the opportunity to take exams after they had thoroughly prepared themselves. The curriculum material still referred to the Middle Eastern curriculum (Al-Azhar University, Egypt) that had been developed during the PTAIN period. During this period, IAIN Sunan Kalijaga was under the leadership of Prof. R.H.A. Soenaryo, S.H. (1960-1972).

1972 - 1996 Period of Academic Foundation

During this period, IAIN Sunan Kalijaga was led successively by Colonel Drs. H. Bakri Syahid (1972-1976), Prof. H. Zaini Dahlan, MA (for two terms: 1976-1980 and 1980-1983), Prof. Dr. HA Mu'in Umar (1983-1992), and Prof. Dr. Simuh (1992-1996). During this period, the construction of physical campus facilities continued, including the construction of the Faculty of Da'wah, Library, Postgraduate Program, and Rectorate buildings. The education system used during this period began to shift from a ‘liberal system’ to a ‘guided system’ by introducing a ‘pseudo-semester system’ and finally a ‘pure semester credit system.’ In terms of curriculum, IAIN Sunan Kalijaga has undergone radical adjustments to meet the national needs of Indonesia. The number of faculties increased to five, namely the Faculty of Adab, Dakwah, Sharia, Tarbiyah, and Ushuluddin. The IAIN Sunan Kalijaga Postgraduate Program was opened during this period, specifically in the 1983/1984 academic year. This postgraduate program began with academic activities in the form of short courses on Islamic studies called Post Graduate Courses (PGC) and Postgraduate Studies (PPS), which were held without awarding master's degrees. Therefore, the opening of the Postgraduate Program in the 1980s confirmed the function of IAIN Sunan Kalijaga as a higher academic institution above the Bachelor's Degree Program.

1996 - 2001 Period of Academic and Management Consolidation

During this period, IAIN Sunan Kalijaga was under the leadership of Prof. Dr. HM. Atho Mudzhar (1997-2001). During this period, efforts to improve academic quality, particularly the quality of lecturers (educational staff) and alumni, continued. A large number of lecturers were encouraged and given the opportunity to continue their studies, both at the Master's (S2) and Doctoral (S3) levels in various disciplines, both domestically and abroad. Similarly, human resources for administrative staff were improved to enhance the quality of management and academic administrative services. During this period, IAIN Sunan Kalijaga increasingly focused on improving its academic orientation and strengthening its existence as a higher education institution. The number of lecturers with Doctorate and Professor titles increased, accompanied by an increase in the number of library collections and service systems.

2001 - 2010 Period of Institutional Development

This period can be referred to as the ‘Transformation Period’ because it witnessed an important event in the institutional development of the oldest Islamic higher education institution in the country, namely the transformation of the Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic Institute (IAIN) into the Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University (UIN) based on Presidential Decree No. 50 of 2004 dated June 21, 2004. The declaration of UIN Sunan Kalijaga was made on October 14, 2004. This period was under the leadership of Prof. Dr. HM. Amin Abdullah (2001-2005) with Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Prof. Drs. H. Akh. Minhaji, MA., Ph.D, Vice Rector for General Administration Drs. H. Masyhudi, BBA, M.Si. and Vice Rector for Student Affairs Prof. Dr. H. Ismail Lubis, MA (deceased), who was later replaced by Dr. Maragustam Siregar, MA. During the second term (2006-2010) of Prof. Dr. HM. Amin Abdullah's leadership, a Vice Rector for Cooperation was appointed. With the appoinment of the Vice Rector for Cooperation, the leadership of UIN Sunan Kalijaga for the second term is as follows: Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Dr. H. Sukamta, MA, Vice Rector for General Administration, Dr. H. Tasman Hamami, MA, Vice Rector for Student Affairs, Dr. Maragustam Siregar, MA, and Vice Rector for Cooperation, Prof. Dr. H. Siswanto Masruri, MA. The change from institute to university was made to launch a new paradigm in viewing and studying religious and general sciences, namely the paradigm of interconnection integration. This paradigm requires open and intensive dialogue between hadlarah an-nas, hadlarah al-ilm, and hadlarah al-falsafah. With this paradigm, UIN Sunan Kalijaga further emphasizes its concern for the development of Muslim society in particular and society in general. The integration and interconnection of the two fields of study, which were previously viewed as diametrically opposed, enables the emergence of an understanding of Islam that is friendly, democratic, and a blessing for all creation.

2010 - 2014 Period of Unity and Prosperity

Based on the Decree of the Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Number: B.II/3/16522/2010 dated December 6, 2010, the Professor of the Faculty of Ushuluddin, Religious Studies, and Islamic Thought was given the additional task of serving as Rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta for the 2010-2014 term. The period under the leadership of Prof. Dr. H. Musa Asy'arie was assisted by four Vice Rectors, namely, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Dr. Sekar Ayu Aryani, M.Ag.; Vice Rector for General Administration, Prof. Dr. H. Nizar, M.Ag,; Vice Rector for Student Affairs, Dr. H. Ahmad Rifai, M.Phil.,; and Vice Rector for Cooperation, Prof. Dr. H. Siswanto Masruri, M.A. In line with the times and in order to improve the quality of higher education management and services, it was deemed necessary to reorganize the organizational structure of Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University Yogyakarta. Therefore, the organizational structure of Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University underwent changes based on the Minister of Religious Affairs Regulation Number 26 of 2013. In accordance with the new organizational structure of Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University, in carrying out his duties, the Rector is assisted by three Vice Rectors, namely: Vice Rector for Academic and Student Affairs, Dr. Sekar Ayu Aryani, M.Ag.; Vice Rector for General Administration, Planning and Finance, Prof. Dr. H. Nizar, M.Ag.; and Vice Rector for Institutional and Cooperation Affairs, Dr. H. Maksudin, MA.

2015-2016 PREPARATION PERIOD TOWARDS BECOMING A WORLD-CLASS UNIVERSITY

Based on the Decree of the Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Number: B-II/3/71245, Prof. Drs. H. Akh. Minhaji, M.A., Ph.D. was appointed as Rector for the 2015-2019 term. However, due to health reasons, he only served until 2016. Subsequently, the Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia issued Decree Number: B.II/3/08338 appointing Prof. Dr. H. Machasin, M.A., as Acting Rector to ensure the smooth running of the duties and authorities of the leadership of UIN Sunan Kalijaga until the election of the next Rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga.

2016-2020 IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD TOWARDS A WORLD-CLASS UNIVERSITY IN THE FIELD OF ISLAMIC STUDIES

Professor of Islamic Legal Philosophy, Faculty of Sharia and Law, UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Prof. Dr. K.H. Yudian Wahyudi, M.A., Ph.D. was appointed as Rector by the Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia for the period 2016-2020. This is stated in the Decree of the Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Number: B.II/3/08205. In his leadership, he was assisted by Prof. Dr. H. Sutrisno, M.Ag. as Vice Rector for Academic and Institutional Development, Dr. Phil Sahiron, M.A. as Vice Rector for General Administration and Finance, and Dr. H. Waryono, M.Ag., as Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Cooperation.

During this period, there were several achievements in realizing WCU, such as: Successfully maintaining an “A” Higher Education Accreditation (APT) rating with a score of 372, which is higher than in 2014, namely 361; Six study programs obtained AUN-QA certification; Receiving the second-best award in the Higher Education Strategic Management System and being the first PTKIN to join the Indonesian Association for Board Engineering Education (IABEE); Organizing the Sunan Kalijaga International Postdoctoral Research Program (SKIPRP); Organized an International Writing Contest from which the articles were published in the International Journal of Islamic Civilization (IJIC); UIN Sunan Kalijaga was also entrusted to become the Office of the Asian Islamic Universities Association (AIUA) and the Rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga was appointed as the President of AIUA at the 6th Annual General Meeting of AIUA, November 11, 2017 in Ternate. This has enhanced UIN Sunan Kalijaga's performance in strengthening cooperation among Islamic universities in Asia in the fields of education, teaching, research, sharing scientific publications, and community service. As a first step, UIN Sunan Kalijaga hosted the AIUA conference.

During his leadership, Prof. Yudian Wahyudi also initiated the establishment of the Pancasila and State Defense Study Center, which was inaugurated by Gen. (Ret.) Wiranto as Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs. Additionally, he continued the plan to develop Campus 2 by opening new faculties and completing land acquisition in Pajangan, Bantul, Yogyakarta.

In February 2020, Prof. Dr. K.H. Yudian Wahyudi, M.A., Ph.D. was appointed by the President of the Republic of Indonesia as Head of the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP). To continue his duties, Dr. Phil. Sahiron, M.A. was appointed as Acting Rector until July 2020 based on the Decree of the Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Number: 003946/B.II/3/2020.

During Dr. Phil. Sahiron, M.A.'s leadership as Acting Rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Indonesia, was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. This also influenced higher education policies, which had to reformat learning and service models to suit the conditions so that they could continue. These included online lectures, online graduations, online final exams, and UKT (tuition fee) reduction.

2020-2024 IMPLEMENTATION PHASE OF THE TAGLINE OF UIN SUNAN KALIJAGA FOR THE NATION, UIN SUNAN KALIJAGA GOES GLOBAL

Young, energetic, and visionary are the characteristics of Prof. Dr. Phil. Al Makin, S.Ag., M.A. as the Rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, who was inaugurated by the Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia based on the Decree of the Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Number: 018527/B.II/3/2020 for the 2020-2024 term of office.

Under the leadership of Prof. Al Makin, who is a Professor of Philosophy at UIN Sunan Kalijaga, he was assisted by Prof. Dr. Iswandi Syahputra as Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and Institutional Development, Dr. Phil Sahiron, M.A. as Vice Rector for General Administration and Finance, and Dr. Abdur Rozaki, M.Si., as Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Cooperation.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, UIN Sunan Kalijaga continues to be active in making breakthroughs by awarding outstanding students and launching the book “Berburu Prestasi di Era Pandemi” (Hunting for Achievements in the Pandemic Era). The Faculty of Social and Humanities launched a Live Streaming Studio, and Dra. Labibah Zain, M.LIS. received the "2020 Science -Technology and Engineering Community Bonnie Hilditch International Librarian Award" at the SLA Annual Conference in the USA. At the end of 2020, UIN Sunan Kalijaga received recognition from the Directorate of Islamic Higher Education (PTKI) under the Directorate General of Islamic Education, Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia, as the Best PTKI BLU, PTKI with the Best Library, and PTKI with the Most AUN-QA Programs.

Additionally, UIN Sunan Kalijaga, through the Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training, became a pilot project in the effort to prevent corruption, reform bureaucracy, and improve the quality of public services to realize a Corruption-Free Zone (WBK) and a Clean and Serving Bureaucracy Zone (WBBM).

During Prof. Al Makin's leadership this past year, UIN Sunan Kalijaga successfully acquired land for the construction of UIN Sunan Kalijaga's second campus in Pajangan, Bantul, Yogyakarta. The campus 2 (two) development plan includes the Faculty of Medicine and Health, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Faculty of Communication Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Psychology, Faculty of Marine Sciences and Fisheries, Center for Research and Community Service, Student Dormitory, and several educational support laboratories.

2024-2029 IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD of Empowering Knowledge, Shaping the Future

Building on the strong foundation laid by previous leaders, Prof. Noorhaidi is guiding UIN Sunan Kalijaga into the next phase of implementation. Under the tagline “Empowering Knowledge, Shaping the Future,” the university is committed not only to academic excellence but also to empowering knowledge as a force that shapes the future—for students, society, and the world.

This tagline is not merely a rhetorical symbol but is deeply rooted in the epistemological and philosophical vision of UIN Sunan Kalijaga as an Islamic university that places knowledge as the main driving force of civilization.

The concept of Empowering Knowledge stems from the understanding that knowledge has a transformative power that is not neutral. In Islamic epistemology, knowledge is not merely an accumulation of information but has ethical, social, and spiritual value. Rooted in the spirit of al-?ilm in classical Islam, UIN Sunan Kalijaga affirms that knowledge must be directed towards empowering humanity, freeing it from ignorance and backwardness, and bringing about social justice.

Meanwhile, Shaping the Future reflects the prophetic view that knowledge should guide the direction of the future, not only reacting to change but also becoming an agent of change. From the perspective of integrative epistemology—which is the scientific foundation of UIN Sunan Kalijaga—there is no dichotomy between Islamic sciences and modern sciences. The integration and interconnection of the two becomes the capital for building a future civilization that is inclusive, just, sustainable, and humanistic.

This tagline thus represents a progressive scientific orientation:

Empowering Knowledge: science as a force for social and spiritual empowerment.

Shaping the Future: science as a means of shaping a visionary and solution-oriented future for civilization.

Prof. Noorhaidi Hasan's leadership during this period was supported by university leaders who were committed to modern governance and academic integrity:

Prof. Dr. Istiningsih, M.Pd. (Vice Rector for Academic Affairs),

Prof. Dr. Mochamad Sodik, S.Sos., M.Si. (Vice Rector for General Administration, Planning, and Finance),

Prof. Dr. Abdur Rozaki, S.Ag., M.Si. (Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Cooperation).

Under the coordination of this leadership, UIN Sunan Kalijaga has established a number of strategic steps, including:

Curriculum reform;

Strengthening an integrative and innovative research ecosystem;

Accelerating internationalization through global cooperation;

Developing Campus II based on green sustainability and forest campus;

Improving the quality of data-based governance and digitization;

Actively contributing to sustainable development (SDGs).

Under its current leadership, UIN Sunan Kalijaga has positioned itself as a leading Islamic university that not only responds to the needs of the community but also addresses global challenges. By making knowledge a force for empowerment and the future a space for collective vision, the university is moving to bring about a new civilization based on the values of revelation and scientific rationality.

The tagline Empowering Knowledge, Shaping the Future reflects the strategic direction and ideological compass for UIN Sunan Kalijaga. It affirms that the university is not merely a place of learning, but also an arena for the meeting of ideas, cultural differences, and visions of the future built through the power of knowledge—with the ultimate goal of shaping an inclusive, progressive civilization that brings about real change.