Ideas for change that grow out of concern and are realized through real action took the spotlight at the Grand Final of Kalijaga Changemaker 2026. This annual UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta event brought together seven student finalists with innovative social projects that show the role of young people in answering a range of community problems.

Held in the Convention Hall on the first floor of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, the grand final gave students a space to present their ideas, test the sustainability of their programs, and show the potential for impact that can be developed more widely. Now in its third year, Kalijaga Changemaker continues to foster a culture of innovation, social concern, and student courage in bringing about change.

Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Cooperation Prof. Abdur Rozaki expressed appreciation for the enthusiasm and quality of ideas students showed at the event. In his view, the continuity of projects from the first year of the competition through the third shows students' concern for environmental and community issues, as well as their hope of building a better future for Indonesia.

He said UIN Sunan Kalijaga students have a strong struggle of ideas and idealism. This needs to keep being developed through social experimentation so that it does not stop at thought but grows into a movement with real impact.

"We are very proud that UIN Sunan Kalijaga students continue to think about the importance of idealism and how to experiment with that idealism in their communities," he said.

Prof. Abdur Rozaki also urged the finalists to keep developing the projects they have started. Students who did not make it to the grand final were encouraged not to give up, to complete their ideas, and to take part again in the next edition.

In the same vein, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta Rector Prof. Dr. Noorhaidi Hasan affirmed that Kalijaga Changemaker is part of the campus's effort to build a student ecosystem that encourages creativity, innovation, and real contributions to society. The program, initiated through the student affairs and cooperation division, is expected to produce students who are not only academically excellent but also have the courage to turn ideas into solutions.

The Rector linked this spirit to UIN Sunan Kalijaga's ranking second nationally in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027, in the 801-1,000 band worldwide. In his view, this achievement is the result of shared effort to strengthen the quality of education, research, and community service.

He stressed the importance of downstreaming (hilirisasi) students' ideas and research results so that they do not stop at papers or publications but are turned into applicable products, prototypes, patents, or modules. In this way, students' creativity can bring wider benefits while strengthening the university's contribution to meeting community needs.

Kalijaga Changemaker is also part of efforts to prepare a young generation that is optimistic, competitive, and able to take a role in realizing Golden Indonesia 2045 (Indonesia Emas 2045). The Rector urged students to develop their ideas through serious thinking, collaboration, and sustained innovation so they can win support from various institutions and partners, including at the global level.

In this year's grand final, seven finalists presented change projects in a range of fields, from youth potential development, education and literacy, and youth leadership to community empowerment and the strengthening of social movements and sustainable tourism. The seven finalists are Jasmine Jannatul Ma'wa L through Aksara, Febri Amin Nurrohman through Jogja Kelana, Hanania Rahima Putrina K through Harmonest, Siti Zahwa Qurratul Ainiah through Peace Young Leaders, Fatah Elhusein through Jejakarsa, Nur Cahyanti through the Community Life Laboratory (Laboratorium Kehidupan Masyarakat), and Syaamil Aufa Azzufar through BookDate.

The finalists' presentations were assessed by three judges: Head of the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM) of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Dr. Abdul Qoyum, S.E.I., M.Sc.Fin.; NU Online Managing Director Hamzah Sahal; and senior researcher and Executive Director of the Institute for Research and Empowerment (IRE) Yogyakarta Dina Mariana, S.H., M.H. The assessment covered the clarity and novelty of ideas, potential impact, the ability to mobilize resources, and project sustainability.

Based on the judges' assessment, Harmonest won First Place, followed by Peace Young Leaders in Second Place and the Community Life Laboratory in Third Place. Jejakarsa then took third runner-up, BookDate fourth runner-up, Aksara fifth runner-up, and Jogja Kelana sixth runner-up. The Favorite Winner award, chosen by voting, went to the Community Life Laboratory.

The Grand Final of Kalijaga Changemaker 2026 affirms UIN Sunan Kalijaga's commitment to giving students room to develop their idealism, sharpen their leadership capacity, and build solutions relevant to community needs. Through this event, the campus hopes that ideas for change born from students will keep growing into sustained movements that bring real benefits to the surrounding community and the nation. (humassk)