YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia, Dec 17, 2025 — Indonesia’s UIN Sunan Kalijaga on Wednesday appointed seven new full professors, raising the proportion of professors at the state Islamic university to 12.5% of its academic staff, a figure that places the institution well above the national average and closer to levels seen in advanced higher-education systems.

The appointments bring the university’s total number of professors to 94 out of 756 active lecturers, compared with a national average of around 3%, university officials said during an open senate session held in Yogyakarta.

Rector Noorhaidi Hasan said the milestone reflected years of institutional consolidation but warned that professorship marked the beginning of a heavier public and intellectual responsibility.

“This achievement is the result of a long academic journey,” Noorhaidi said. “At the same time, it carries a mandate to continuously contribute to knowledge production and the university’s threefold mission.”

The ceremony, formally opened by University Senate Chair Kamsi, came as the university reported broader institutional gains over the past year, including improved performance in Indonesia’s national research index (SINTA), sustainability recognition under UI GreenMetric, and inclusion in the QS Asian University Rankings. University leaders said those advances were underpinned by efforts to strengthen governance, improve transparency and embed sustainability-oriented policies across academic life.

Despite the gains, Noorhaidi cautioned that professorship carried obligations extending beyond individual disciplines.

“Professors must remain central actors in shaping academic standards, research agendas and public engagement,” he said.

Appointments Across Disciplines

The seven professors come from a range of disciplines, reflecting the university’s interdisciplinary orientation.

Erika Setyanti Kusumaputri, appointed professor of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, said academic pressure could be productive if supported by healthy institutional cultures, adaptive personalities and strong spirituality, warning that unmanaged pressure risked leading to burnout.

From the Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, Sabaruddin, a professor of Educational Sociology, called for closer collaboration between universities, industry and government to address skills mismatches in the labour market. Siti Fatonah, a professor of Science Education, emphasised the role of scientific attitudes and methods in improving student productivity and technological development.

Four additional professors broadened the university’s academic profile across religious and cultural studies. Mochamad Sodik, vice rector for academic affairs and a professor of Sociology of Religious Movements, urged ethical approaches to prevent religion from becoming a tool of social exclusion. Ustadi Hamzah, professor of Interreligious Relations, promoted locally grounded and inclusive models of interfaith engagement. Maharsi, professor of Islam and Culture, examined Islam’s role in global cultural dynamics, while Ahmad Yani Anshori, professor of Islamic Political Jurisprudence, introduced an ethical framework linking theology and governance.

University officials said the appointments reinforced UIN Sunan Kalijaga’s position as a growing centre of critical scholarship within Indonesia’s higher-education landscape.