Retaining the status of an informative public body cannot be achieved by simply repeating the same strategies. Amid shifting public expectations and rapid digital advancement, transparency in public information is increasingly required to transform into a service that is more accessible, responsive, and relevant.

This awareness provided the driving spirit behind the Public Information Transparency Evaluation organized by the Public Information and Documentation Officer (PPID) of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, held on Wednesday (1/7/2026) in the Meeting Room of the PAU Building, 3rd Floor. The event was attended by the Chair of the PPID and Vice Rector for General Administration, Planning, and Finance, Prof. Dr. Mochamad Sodik; the Head of the General Administration and Finance Bureau, Dr. Ali Sodiq; the Chair of the Internal Supervisory (SPI), Dr. Shaleh; all Vice Deans II and UPT managers; Section Heads; Work Team Chairs; and other relevant parties.

The Chair of the SPI, Dr. Shaleh, reminded those present that the informative status achieved by UIN Sunan Kalijaga in the previous year must serve as a springboard to go further, not merely a position to be maintained.

“To continue holding the informative status, we cannot rely solely on what was done last year. There must be genuine innovation and development that truly strengthens public information transparency,” he said.

Dr. Shaleh explained that a number of innovations are currently being prepared to strengthen public information services. One of these involves engaging lecturers as educational resource persons on public information transparency, so that a culture of openness is not only understood by information managers but also becomes embedded in the academic ecosystem and can be shared with other institutions.

The PPID is also developing a range of digital services that are more closely aligned with public needs, among them features to strengthen communication between students and their parents through the academic information system, the development of increasingly integrated digital service menus, and the addition of a chatbot to accelerate information services.

Also planned as part of the public information service transformation is the conversion of conventional telephone services into WhatsApp-based communication, to make information more easily accessible to the public. All faculty and work unit websites are also being directed to embed a PPID menu on their respective pages, so that access to information is no longer centralized but brought closer to every service unit.

These improvements are further supported by plans to renovate the PPID helpdesk room to make it more representative, alongside efforts to encourage the specific allocation of a public information transparency budget within the Ministerial/Institutional Work Plan and Budget (RKAKL) as a form of institutional commitment.

The Head of the AUK Bureau, Dr. Ali Sodiq, observed that the challenges of public service going forward are not only about meeting regulatory requirements, but also about the institution's capacity to adapt to technological developments.

“We need to collectively formulate how to deliver services in the era of artificial intelligence. Public services must become increasingly modern, including a digitalized correspondence system so that document tracking becomes easier and more transparent,” he said.

He added that a commitment to excellent service must become a shared culture across all work units, so that information transparency extends beyond the mere provision of documents to genuinely delivering a better service experience for the public.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Public Relations Team of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, RTM Maharani, noted that the elevation to “informative” status in the previous year has brought with it a consequent increase in public information requests. The management of archives therefore becomes a vital foundation in supporting the quality of public information services.

“Archivists are on the front line in ensuring that information can be presented quickly, accurately, and accountably,” she said.

During the discussion session, Mahyudin proposed that the Public Information Transparency (KIP) Ambassador program be integrated with the campus ambassador selection, so that the values of information transparency become part of students' identity as representatives of the university.

Closing the event, the Chair of the PPID, Prof. Dr. Mochamad Sodik, called on all work units to make information transparency an organizational culture that continuously evolves.

He affirmed that UIN Sunan Kalijaga has achieved numerous accomplishments at both the national and international level, and that the same spirit must be channeled into the management of public information transparency.

“We must hold to the spirit of becoming the best among PTKINs. The various achievements we have attained show that we are capable of growing and becoming the best. May that spirit continue to strengthen as we build an ever-higher quality of public information transparency service,” he concluded.

Through these various innovations, UIN Sunan Kalijaga is not only working to retain its status as an informative public body but also strengthening its transformation toward public information services that are more digital, participatory, and oriented toward the needs of the community. Information transparency is no longer merely about fulfilling regulatory obligations, it is about building public trust through services that are fast, transparent, and adaptive to the demands of the times. (humassk)