From building a safe and inclusive campus to responding to the development of artificial intelligence in education, research by UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta lecturers continues to be directed toward addressing today's educational challenges. In 2026, four UIN Sunan Kalijaga lecturers once again achieved success, being selected as recipients of the 2026 Indonesia Bangkit Research Funding Program (RIB) from the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

This determination is set out in Decree of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs No. 380 of 2026, issued in Jakarta on September 14, 2026. Confirmation was conveyed through Letter of the Secretariat General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs No. B-5754/SJ/B.X/PP.04/09/2026, dated September 17, 2026.

This achievement forms part of UIN Sunan Kalijaga's ongoing consistency in strengthening its research ecosystem through the MoRA Air Fund funding scheme. From 2024 through 2026, a total of 11 UIN Sunan Kalijaga research teams have received funding through this scheme, one team in 2024, six teams in 2025, and four teams in 2026.

Nationally, the 2026 RIB Program selected 131 recipient teams across seven research focus areas, with total funding reaching Rp71.85 billion. Notably, all four UIN Sunan Kalijaga recipients fall within the Education and Language field, one of the fields with the highest number of recipients, at 51 teams. This success by four lecturers adds to UIN Sunan Kalijaga's record of contributions to research development within Islamic Religious Higher Education Institutions (PTKI).

The four research projects cover a range of themes yet share a common thread: responding to the needs of education and higher education amid social, technological, and institutional change.

Prof. Dr. Maemonah, M.Ag. leads research titled “Safir-PTKI: Developing an Islamic Values-Based Safeguarding Model for the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence in Islamic Religious Higher Education Institutions.” This research develops a protection model within PTKI environments, drawing on Islamic values as one of its foundations.

Prof. Dr. Sri Sumarni, M.Pd. is developing “Development of an Inclusive Learning Model Based on the Integration of Diagnostic Assessment, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Assistive Technology in State Islamic Religious Higher Education Institutions (PTKIN).” This research focuses on strengthening learning models capable of accommodating the diverse needs of students.

Meanwhile, Prof. Sigit Purnama brings the issue of artificial intelligence into early childhood education through research titled “Akal-Ra AI: Development and Implementation of a Multi-Site AI-Assisted Teacher Support-Based Computational Thinking Learning Ecosystem to Strengthen Early Digital Literacy and Character Building for Raudhatul Athfal (Islamic Kindergarten) Children.”

Meanwhile, Sibawaihi, Ph.D. presents research titled "Strategies for Strengthening the Competitiveness of State Islamic Religious Higher Education: A Multi-Site Study at UIN Sunan Gunung Djati, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah, and UIN Sunan Kalijaga." This research examines strategies for strengthening PTKIN competitiveness through a multi-site study across three state Islamic universities.

Together, these four research projects reflect the breadth of UIN Sunan Kalijaga's research spectrum, oriented not only toward scholarly development, but also addressing strategic issues ranging from the protection of campus community members and inclusive education, to AI-based learning transformation and strengthening university competitiveness.

Head of the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM) at UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Dr. Abdul Qoyum, expressed appreciation to the lecturers who once again earned this recognition through the 2026 RIB funding. According to him, this achievement also reflects the continued strengthening of a research culture at UIN Sunan Kalijaga.

“Congratulations to all the recipients of the 2026 RIB funding. This achievement is part of our shared effort to strengthen the research culture at UIN Sunan Kalijaga. We hope the entire research process runs smoothly, producing quality outputs and outcomes that deliver broad impact for the advancement of knowledge and for society,” said Abdul Qoyum.

He added that the sustained flow of research funding through the MoRA Air Fund over the past three years shows that UIN Sunan Kalijaga's research ecosystem continues to grow.

“From 2024 through 2026, 11 UIN Sunan Kalijaga research teams have received funding through the MoRA Air Fund. This is an important foundation for continuing to drive research that is not only academically strong, but also relevant, impactful, and able to strengthen UIN Sunan Kalijaga's position at both the national and global levels,” he continued.

This consistency forms part of UIN Sunan Kalijaga's effort to build a research-based, impact-oriented academic ecosystem. The growing number of funded research teams year over year also reflects the sustained participation of UIN Sunan Kalijaga lecturers in national research funding competitions.

By addressing strategic issues such as inclusion, campus safety, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and PTKIN competitiveness, these research projects are expected to go beyond academic output alone. More broadly, the research findings are expected to produce models, knowledge, and recommendations that benefit the development of education and society.

For UIN Sunan Kalijaga, strengthening research is part of the journey from academic excellence toward broader impact, connecting scholarly tradition with the real needs of society, while strengthening UIN Sunan Kalijaga's contribution at both the national and global levels. (humassk)