Studying at university does not always happen inside a classroom. For international students at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, understanding their new environment also means getting to know the culture, ways of interacting, and community life in the place where they are pursuing their studies.

That spirit was on display during the second day of the International Student Orientation & Empowerment Program at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, held Thursday (9/24/2026) at Omah Kecebong, Yogyakarta. Carrying the theme “Getting to Know, Adapting, and Growing at UIN Sunan Kalijaga,” this event, organized by the Center for Developing Cooperation and International Affairs (CDCIA), was framed around outdoor team-building activities and an introduction to Yogyakarta's culture.

This year, UIN Sunan Kalijaga welcomed 28 international students from 10 different countries. This diversity of backgrounds forms an important part of the academic experience at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, while also creating a space of encounter among students from different cultures.

During the event, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Vice Rector III, Prof. Abdur Rozaki, was on hand to visit and greet the international students. His presence formed part of an effort to build closeness with students from the very start of their academic journey at UIN Sunan Kalijaga.

From the very beginning of the event, students were invited to get closer to Javanese culture, particularly that of Yogyakarta. They wore traditional Javanese attire, kebaya for the female students, and surjan and blangkon (traditional shirt and headwear) for the male students. The experience continued with a range of cultural activities, including a batik-making workshop, playing gamelan (traditional Javanese instruments), and sampling Indonesian cuisine.

Yet the experience did not stop at introducing cultural symbols.

Head of CDCIA at UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Dr. Witriani, said the event was designed so that international students would not only get to know Javanese culture visually, but also understand how to relate and interact within a new social environment.

“Since they'll be living in Java, there are a few things they need to understand. It's not just about introducing traditional clothing or Javanese trinkets, but also about how to relate and interact with one another,” she said.

According to her, this experience serves as important preparation to help international students feel more ready to navigate academic life while also adapting to the social environment in Yogyakarta. The outdoor activities, meanwhile, served as a space to strengthen bonds among students, so they could support one another throughout their studies at UIN Sunan Kalijaga.

Participants' enthusiasm was evident across the various activities they took part in. Group games, photo sessions in Javanese attire, and cultural activities were all new experiences for many of the participants.

For Zahra, a student from Somalia enrolled in the Islamic Accounting Study Program, the second day's activities offered a chance to experience Javanese culture and language firsthand. She even recalled a few words she picked up during the event, such as “matur nuwun” (thank you) and “dalem” (yes/here).

“Today's activity was good. It's so very good,” Zahra said, sharing her experience of the event. She said she especially enjoyed the games played together with other participants.

For Zahra, choosing UIN Sunan Kalijaga was also closely tied to her interest in Yogyakarta. As a student experiencing Indonesia for the first time, the event became part of her process of getting to know a new environment while beginning academic life at an Islamic university.

A different story came from Mahnoor, a student from Pakistan enrolled in the Islamic Economics Study Program. Having left her home country for the very first time, Mahnoor sees Yogyakarta as a space to gain new experiences while getting to know Indonesia's diversity.

She was drawn to UIN Sunan Kalijaga because she wanted to explore Indonesia and Yogyakarta, known as a city of education. Along the way, she also began to realize that Indonesia's diversity is not only visible between countries, but also within the country's own internal cultural diversity.

“Even though they are Indonesians, I've realized that everyone has their own culture. Someone is Javanese, someone is Sundanese, Madurese,” she said.

The outdoor team-building experience also left a lasting impression on Mahnoor. She enjoyed the games that made participants laugh together, and found herself feeling freer, almost like being a child again. She even said the experience made her realize that university life can offer a learning space that is fun and not always formal.

For Mahnoor, one of the next challenges ahead is learning Indonesian. As an international student, language ability is an important part of being able to follow lectures, most of which are conducted in Indonesian.

More than just an orientation, this series of activities shows how UIN Sunan Kalijaga works to build the international student experience from the very start of their studies. They are introduced not only to the campus environment, but also encouraged to understand the community, culture, and social space in which they will grow.

Dr. Witriani noted that this kind of program has now entered its second year. While the first year saw only about five new international students taking part, this year's number rose to 28 students from 10 countries.

According to her, this increase reflects various efforts by CDCIA to broaden its outreach, including through embassy networks, social media, and email communication. Out of roughly 570 applicants, 28 students were selected to take part in this year's program.

For UIN Sunan Kalijaga, the diversity of its international students is more than just a number. Their presence creates a space of encounter that allows students to learn about each other's cultures, adapt, and broaden their perspective on the world.

They came to Yogyakarta to learn. But through cross-cultural experiences like this one, that learning process runs both ways: international students come to know Indonesia, while the university itself is enriched by the stories, experiences, and perspectives they bring from different corners of the world.

This is the face of UIN Sunan Kalijaga as an academic space that brings together not only knowledge and tradition, but also people from different backgrounds, to learn, to grow, and to understand one another. (humassk)