Rector’s Address at the 74th
Anniversary of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, September 23, 2025
UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta
celebrated its 74th anniversary by reaffirming its rise as a world-class
research university that bridges Islamic scholarship with cutting-edge science,
technology, and sustainability. Addressing an audience that included the
Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, ambassadors, government
officials, and international partners, Rector Prof. Noorhaidi Hasan outlined
the university’s drive to integrate knowledge, advance ecotheology, and
navigate an era of rapid digital disruption.
Under the theme “Blending
Tradition and Innovation: Ecotheology for a Sustainable Future,” Prof.
Hasan highlighted the university’s dual commitment to spiritual heritage and
modern challenges such as climate change, AI, and the Fourth Industrial
Revolution. Founded in 1951 as PTAIN and later transformed into IAIN before
achieving its current status, UIN Sunan Kalijaga now holds an A/Excellent
institutional accreditation, with 73 percent of programs rated Excellent and 30
percent internationally accredited by AUN-QA, FIBAA, and ASIIN. It ranks first
among Indonesia’s State Islamic Higher Education institutions (PTKIN) and 27th
nationally in the 2025 Webometrics ranking, while Edurank places it sixth in
Asia for theology and Islamic studies.
Key initiatives include the planned
Faculty of Medicine, International Undergraduate Programs in six faculties,
double-degree partnerships with the University of Edinburgh and SOAS University
of London, and student–faculty exchanges with SES Germany, Wuxi University of
Technology, and Erasmus+. A second campus in Pajangan, Bantul—designed as a Forest
Campus—is also in preparation, alongside the modernization of the main
campus and expanded digital learning supported by big data and AI.
Prof. Hasan urged faculty, staff,
students, and alumni to embrace adaptability, critical thinking, and ethical
responsibility. “Knowledge without ethics is like a flame without light,” he
said, underscoring the university’s mission to produce graduates who are both
globally competitive and grounded in moral values. With its historic legacy and
ambitious development agenda, UIN Sunan Kalijaga is positioning itself as a
leading center of scholarship and a proud representative of Indonesian higher
education on the global stage. (humassk)