Commencement is, of course, a ceremony, but every name called forward carries a long journey worth celebrating. Behind the caps and gowns, the smiles, and the diploma in hand lies exhaustion finally paid off, prayers from parents that never stopped, and the support of countless hands that carried each graduate to this point.

That atmosphere of joy and emotion colored the first day of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta's Fourth Commencement of the 2025/2026 Academic Year, held through an Open Senate Session at the Multipurpose Building on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.

The session was officially opened by Chair of the University Senate, Prof. Dr. Kamsi. A total of 552 graduates took part in the commencement procession on the first day, comprising 87 graduates from the Faculty of Da'wah and Communication, 236 from the Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, 136 from the Faculty of Science and Technology, 59 from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, and 34 from the Graduate School.

In his address, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta Rector Prof. Noorhaidi Hasan invited the graduates to celebrate this achievement as an important milestone in life. He noted that an academic degree is not merely a marker of the end of one's studies, but a foundation for shaping the direction of one's life going forward.

“Take pride in the degree you've earned. This journey has been full of twists and turns, requiring real mental strength and endurance, and you were able to get through it,” he said.

Throughout their studies, the Rector continued, students were equipped with more than just academic competence. UIN Sunan Kalijaga also provided various forms of mentorship to develop skills and shape graduates into lifelong learners ready to offer their best service to the nation.

“There are at least three foundational abilities built throughout the education process: logical, critical, and creative thinking. You were also trained to communicate ideas through academic writing and presentations. All of these abilities were paired with character-building that upholds integrity and responsibility, within the broader framework of integration-interconnection,” he affirmed.

The Rector, who has also previously served as Director of the Graduate School, reminded graduates that they had grown within a campus environment that is inclusive, pluralistic, and multicultural, values that took visible shape in this commencement procession.

On this day, three students with disabilities stood among the graduates. Their presence stands as proof that limitations are not an obstacle to pursuing higher education and earning an academic degree. A similar spirit resonated through the Gita Divana Choir, made up of students with disabilities and volunteers. They performed lyric after lyric, while a verse of the Qur'an was solemnly recited by a visually impaired student.

The face of diversity was also present through Father Adrianus Fani, one of the graduates who serves in religious ministry in Japan. His journey shows that UIN Sunan Kalijaga opens a space of encounter for students from a wide range of religious backgrounds, experiences, and paths of service.

At the same time, the Rector continued, UIN Sunan Kalijaga continues to strengthen its position as a university that is excellent, distinguished, and globally reputable. A number of strategic steps have been taken, from opening the Medicine Study Program and 12 new study programs this year, to beginning construction of Campus II in Pajangan.

Even so, institutional progress must go hand in hand with graduates' readiness to face a changing world. The Rector, who is also a prominent academic, observed that the younger generation will enter a world marked by global power competition, contests for geopolitical influence, conflict and war, weakening social cohesion, and slowing economic growth.

These challenges are becoming more complex amid the rapid pace of digital technology. Automation has begun taking over some of the administrative and analytical work once done by humans.

“You must show up as problem solvers for the many challenges of life. Be people who can offer ideas to improve the quality of services and the lives of your communities. Trust that, with everything you've gained during your studies, you are capable of doing this,” he said.

At the same event, one of the fastest top graduates from the Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, Nabila Lutfiati, delivering a speech on behalf of the graduates, invited everyone to look back on the long process that brought them to this day of graduation.

“A few minutes ago, our names were called out one by one, and each of us stepped forward. That moment lasted only a few seconds. But to arrive at those few seconds, we walked a journey that was anything but short,” she said.

She described how what's visible on graduation day is only the cap and gown, the smile, and a single sheet of paper, the diploma. Behind all of that lie nights full of struggle, prayers that never stopped, failures that taught perseverance, and the courage to keep moving forward whenever the urge to give up crept in.

She noted that everyone's story of struggle is, of course, different. Some had to pursue their education far from family. Others had to divide their time between coursework and various other responsibilities. And some experienced this moment of graduation while carrying a quiet longing for loved ones who could only witness their success through prayer.

“Today we celebrate an achievement. But tomorrow, the world will no longer ask how we graduated. The world will come to know us through how we live, how we work, and how we treat one another. So allow me to invite us to carry home one promise: a promise to be UIN Sunan Kalijaga graduates who keep learning with humility, keep working with integrity, and keep serving wholeheartedly,” she said.

At the Fourth Commencement of the 2025/2026 Academic Year, UIN Sunan Kalijaga recognized the fastest top graduates at each degree level.

At the undergraduate level, awards went to Fadilla Ma'sum Haqqoni from the Informatics Study Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, who completed her studies in 3 years, 7 months, and 22 days with a GPA of 3.88; Amri Melia Tsani from the Library Science Study Program, Faculty of Adab and Cultural Sciences, in 3 years, 6 months, and 12 days with a GPA of 3.88; Noviatun Nisa from the Communication Studies Program, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, in 3 years, 7 months, and 9 days with a GPA of 3.91; and Nabila Lutfiati from the Islamic Religious Education Study Program, Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, in 3 years, 7 months, and 10 days with a GPA of 3.93.

At the master's level, awards went to Ragim Samanery from the Arabic Language and Literature Study Program, Faculty of Adab and Cultural Sciences, who completed the program in 1 year, 3 months, and 22 days with a GPA of 3.81; Hanny Handayani Sucinta from the Master's in Informatics Study Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, in 1 year, 8 months, and 18 days with a GPA of 3.85; Wahyu Trisno Aji from the Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies Study Program, Graduate School, in 1 year, 8 months, and 7 days with a GPA of 3.94; and Ach. Hanuji Akbar from the Islamic Education Management Study Program, Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, in 1 year, 8 months, and 13 days with a perfect GPA of 4.00.

Meanwhile, at the doctoral level, awards went to Ana Toni Roby Candra Yudha from the Islamic Studies Study Program, Graduate School, who completed the program in 3 years, 8 months, and 18 days with a GPA of 3.93, and Iffah Khoiriyatul Muyassaroh from the Islamic Religious Education Study Program, Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, in 3 years, 6 months, and 6 days with a GPA of 3.96. (humassk)