Entering higher education is more than just a transition from high school classrooms to lecture halls. For incoming students, this phase also marks the beginning of building independence, finding a community of friends, and adapting to a more dynamic academic culture.

This understanding forms the foundation of how UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta is preparing its 2026 Academic and Student Culture Orientation (PBAK). The program is designed as a welcoming space that is fun, creative, full of friendship, free of bullying, and grounded in Islamic values.

The direction for this year's PBAK was discussed at a coordination meeting held on Thursday (7/30/2026). The meeting brought together vice deans for student affairs from every faculty, university- and faculty-level student organizations, student activity units, and the 2026 PBAK organizing committee.

In his remarks, Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Cooperation Prof. Dr. Abdur Rozaki emphasized the importance of an approach built around cheerfulness, creativity, friendship, a firm anti-bullying commitment, and the cultivation of worship habits as the foundation for helping new students adapt. PBAK 2026 will open with a communal Dhuha prayer, as a humanistic and Islamic first step. “So that Dhuha prayer becomes a habit for students throughout their time at university,” he said.

Prof. Rozaki also noted that every student comes with different levels of mental resilience and academic ability. Creativity from student organizations (Ormawa) and student activity units (UKM) is therefore key to helping new students feel comfortable and adapt quickly. “When we engage them through creativity, they'll enjoy it. So show what's strong within the student organizations, the activity units, and the faculties,” he affirmed.

The ideal target is for 80 percent of incoming students to become actively involved in organizational activities at either the faculty or university level. Without such involvement, students risk feeling isolated. To that end, he said, campus social media and student organizations need to showcase activities that are engaging, distinctive, and full of positive values. “Digital culture belongs to this new generation. Good things should be shared, not kept to yourself,” he added.

Prof. Rozaki also stressed the need for ice-breaking training so the organizing committee is well-equipped to welcome new students in an enjoyable way. The core principle to uphold, he said, is friendship, free of shouting or intimidation.

At the same meeting, PBAK 2026 Deputy Committee Chair Akhmad Abdillah said the theme “Prophetic Humanization and Critical Consciousness in the Age of Technopoly: Affirming an Integrative-Interconnective Identity toward Social Transformation” serves as the central framework guiding the full series of PBAK activities. The theme is translated into a PBAK approach that encourages new students to familiarize themselves with academic culture, build critical reasoning, use technology responsibly, and understand their role as members of society.

Prophetic humanization places respect for human dignity, ethics, and prophetic values at the heart of interactions throughout PBAK. Critical consciousness is aimed at helping students evaluate information rationally rather than becoming passive consumers of technology. Meanwhile, integrative-interconnective identity is introduced as a way of thinking that brings together Islamic scholarship, science, and social realities to address contemporary challenges.

The coordination meeting also addressed the schedule and preparations for PBAK 2026, including the new student registration process, which is divided into two waves. The first wave covers students admitted through the SNBP, SNBT, SPAN-PTKIN, UM-PTKIN, Independent Achievement (Mandiri Prestasi), Diversity (Keberagaman), and International Undergraduate Program (IUP) pathways. Online registration for this group runs from July 25 to August 7, 2026, with in-person re-registration held August 4–7, 2026, at the Prof. Amin Abdullah Building.

The second wave includes students admitted through the Independent SNBT/UM-PTKIN Score pathway, the Overseas Portfolio pathway, the Disability pathway, and CBT. Online registration for this group is scheduled for August 10–14, 2026, followed by in-person re-registration on August 10, 11, and 14, 2026, at each respective faculty.

PBAK 2026 itself is scheduled to run Wednesday through Friday, August 19–21, 2026, at the Religious Studies Laboratory, the Prof. Amin Abdullah Building, and various faculty buildings and grounds.

PBAK 2026 serves as the starting point for building a healthy and meaningful learning experience for new students. Through a humanistic, inclusive, and bullying-free approach, UIN Sunan Kalijaga is working to nurture a generation of students who are critical thinkers, act with integrity, are capable of collaboration, and remain attentive to social issues. (humassk)