YOGYAKARTA — UIN Sunan Kalijaga hosted
a UI GreenMetric workshop on Wednesday (April 29), bringing together around 56
university leaders to advance sustainability efforts grounded in ecotheology.
The event, organized by the university’s
Institute for Research and Community Engagement (LPPM), forms part of broader
efforts to promote green campus initiatives that integrate science, policy, and
Islamic values.
Rector Noorhaidi
Hasan said the workshop reflects a strategic shift among Islamic higher
education institutions in addressing environmental challenges.
“Sustainability is no longer a discourse, but a
global agenda requiring concrete action from universities,” he said, adding
that participation in UI GreenMetric should go beyond rankings to drive
institutional transformation.
He noted that Islamic universities carry a
moral and theological responsibility, rooted in the concept of khalifatullah fil ardh (stewardship of the
earth), to protect environmental balance.
UI GreenMetric Chairman Vishnu Juwono said
environmental crises are no longer future risks but present realities, urging
universities to play a greater role beyond knowledge production.
“If mobilized collectively, hundreds of
Islamic higher education institutions could become a global force. Ecotheology
places religion as a moral foundation in addressing environmental challenges,”
he said.
Meanwhile, Inspector General for Regional
Affairs at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Syafi’i, stressed that
sustainability must become a shared movement involving all stakeholders.
“Religion should guide how we interact with
nature. This must go beyond programs and become a collective mindset,” he said.
The workshop also included the signing of a
commitment to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), panel
discussions on GreenMetric indicators, and visits to campus facilities,
including waste management systems and inclusive services.
The initiative underscores a growing shift
among Indonesian Islamic universities toward embedding sustainability into
governance, research, and education, positioning campuses as active agents in
addressing global environmental challenges.