A different religious background was never an obstacle for Father Adrianus Fani in pursuing his education at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. If anything, the diversity he encountered as a student became one of the most memorable parts of his academic journey.

Father Adrianus Fani was among the graduates of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta's Graduate School at the university's Fourth Commencement of the 2025/2026 Academic Year, held on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Originally from East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and previously serving as a priest in Japan, Father Adrianus chose UIN Sunan Kalijaga as the place to deepen his study of Islam.

Since September 2024, he has pursued his master's degree in the Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies (IIS) program at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta's Graduate School. As a Catholic priest, his decision to study at an Islamic university brought him into an academic environment rich in diversity.

“My experience here has been extraordinary, in my view, because UIN Sunan Kalijaga accepts non-Muslim students to study here. There are priests, there are nuns, there are Hindu friends, and we all study together with our Muslim friends in that place. That's one thing that's extraordinary and very interesting to me,” Father Adrianus said.

For Father Adrianus, the diversity he encountered at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta was more than simply the presence of students from different religious backgrounds. It became a shared learning experience that shaped his own perspective on interfaith relations.

Throughout his studies, he experienced firsthand how students from different backgrounds could learn from one another and offer each other support.

“With this kind of diversity, I, as a Catholic priest, also learned a great deal from my Muslim friends, that we respect one another, and that we support one another, both in our academic journey and outside of it,” he said.

This experience shows that academic spaces can serve as an important setting for interfaith encounter. Difference is not treated as a barrier, but as an opportunity to understand different perspectives while building relationships grounded in mutual respect.

For UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Father Adrianus's experience offers a glimpse of how openness and diversity can take shape in campus life. The academic environment becomes a shared space for students from various backgrounds to learn, discuss, and grow together.

His positive experience throughout his studies led Father Adrianus to hope that this openness will continue to be upheld by UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta.

He expressed hope that the university will continue to provide space for students from all backgrounds to pursue their education and grow together.

“My message to UIN Sunan Kalijaga: stay open to non-Muslim students like me, and to others as well, so that when they apply to study here, they are accepted, and they can study with full enthusiasm, and eventually graduate as students of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta,” he said.

This message also reflects Father Adrianus's own experience throughout his studies. For him, the university's openness did not only provide an opportunity for education; it also created a space of encounter that allowed students to learn from one another.

Father Adrianus's academic journey is also part of a life that has spanned many places. Originally from NTT and having served in Japan, he went on to continue his intellectual journey in Yogyakarta by studying Islam.

That journey brought together different perspectives on religion, culture, and community life within a single academic path.

Father Adrianus's graduation from UIN Sunan Kalijaga also carries a warm personal story. Amid the commencement, his friend from Japan, Miss Sumiko, traveled directly to Yogyakarta to celebrate Father Adrianus's success in completing his master's degree.

Sumiko has known Father Adrianus since 2020, when he served at Kichijoji Catholic Church in Japan. For about five to six years, the two came to know each other and interacted within the ministry community there.

Sumiko's presence in Yogyakarta was a form of personal support for Father Adrianus's long journey toward completing his studies.

“I'm here to celebrate Father Adri. And then I'm so happy to know that Adri is completing the Master's program. And then I keep looking forward to seeing his study success in the PhD program,” Sumiko said.

She shared that she has known Father Adrianus since 2020 and had seen firsthand how he balanced his pastoral work with continuing his education.

"I met Adri 2020. Since then, he was a father in the Kichijoji Catholic Church about 5-6 years. I know him very well, and he was working very hard. And then he's really happy to be here to study Islamic studies," she said.

Sumiko also shared that she intends to keep supporting him until Father Adrianus completes his doctoral studies as well.

"I try to keep giving him support, and then until he complete his PhD program," she said.

Sumiko's presence from Japan added a special meaning to Father Adrianus's graduation day. Her support showed that an educational journey is not only a personal achievement, but also something celebrated by the people who have become part of one's life journey.

Having completed his master's degree, Father Adrianus's academic journey appears far from over. He shared plans to continue his doctoral studies at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta.

That intention is part of the intellectual journey he has built during his time at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. Having deepened his study of Islam at the master's level, he hopes to continue learning within the academic environment that has given him both knowledge and an experience of diversity.

Father Adrianus's story shows that education can become a space of encounter that transcends difference. A Catholic priest from NTT who once served in Japan chose to study Islam at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta and found a shared learning experience alongside students from many different backgrounds.

In the end, this journey was not only about completing a degree. It was also about learning together, respecting one another, supporting one another, and discovering that difference can become a source of strength, both in academic life and in life more broadly.

For UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Father Adrianus's story stands as a reflection of how openness to diversity can create a wider space for learning, a space where everyone can come as they are, and then grow together through knowledge and encounter. (humassk)