UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta's Integrity Zone doesn't begin with something grand. It grows out of simple things: services that don't make life harder for students, procedures that aren't convoluted for lecturers, a work system that treats education staff fairly, and openness in the services offered to the public.
That spirit was affirmed through the official launch of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta's Integrity Zone (ZI) initiative, aimed at achieving status as a Corruption-Free Zone (WBK) and a Clean and Serving Bureaucracy Zone (WBBM). The launch was led by the Rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta and attended by university, faculty, institute, and work unit leadership across campus, with guidance from the Inspectorate General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, held Friday, August 21, 2026, in the 1st Floor Meeting Room of the Saifuddin Zuhri Building.
For UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta's Rector, integrity is not simply a matter of following the rules. It has to become an awareness present in every decision and every everyday service.
He cited the practice of gratuities that are sometimes seen as trivial, such as giving food or small gifts after a student finishes an exam. Even though such gestures may not necessarily influence an academic decision, the awareness to avoid them still matters as part of building an anti-corruption culture.
“Even at a very small scale, we will do our best to avoid gratuities of any kind,” the Rector said.
According to him, building the Integrity Zone will only carry real meaning once the change is genuinely felt by the extended campus family and the public. Students should never have to face services that make things harder, lecturers shouldn't be burdened by unnecessary procedures, and education staff should be able to work within a system that is clear, fair, and measurable.
“The Integrity Zone has to be felt in the everyday experience of the campus community,” he affirmed.
To begin this effort, UIN Sunan Kalijaga designated three faculties as pilot projects for building the ZI: the Faculty of Da'wah and Communication, the Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, and the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities.
The three faculties are being encouraged to develop innovations grounded in the real issues within their own environments. The Inspectorate General emphasized that innovation should not simply be an added program; it needs to make services genuinely easier, faster, and more affordable, while delivering measurable impact.
In this way, digital transformation in service delivery doesn't stop at the mere use of technology; it genuinely results in a better service experience for students and the public.
“Feel free to take different approaches, since the issues facing each faculty will naturally differ according to their own needs,” explained the guidance representative from the Inspectorate General.
Strengthening the culture of integrity is also being extended into the educational space. The Rector affirmed that mandatory anti-corruption education needs to become increasingly visible within teaching and learning. In this way, anti-corruption values become more than a policy document; they become part of shaping students' character.
At the same time, building the ZI requires collective effort across every part of the university. The Inspectorate General reminded participants that responsibility for building the ZI should not fall on the Internal Oversight Unit (SPI) alone. Management and every work unit need to be involved, while SPI serves in the role of evaluator and reviewer.
Strengthening the Government Agency Performance Accountability System (SAKIP) is also an important focus. A minimum SAKIP score of B is one of the entry requirements for applying for WBK status, while WBBM requires a minimum score of BB. For that reason, planning documents, performance reports, follow-up on oversight findings, and various pieces of evidence within the LKE (Self-Assessment Evaluation Sheet) need to be prepared seriously and on an ongoing basis.
Each pilot-project faculty is also being encouraged to develop a ZI roadmap outlining both short- and long-term steps. UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta also remains open to benchmarking visits to universities that have already earned WBK/WBBM status, as part of its own learning process.
The ZI launch was marked by the signing of an integrity pact by UIN Sunan Kalijaga's leadership, from the Rector and Vice Rectors, deans and vice deans, Bureau Heads, and heads of institutes and units, to department heads and team leaders, as a shared expression of commitment to supporting the development of the Integrity Zone across UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta.
For UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, that signature is more than symbolic. It stands as a reminder that the journey toward WBK-WBBM status requires commitment that is upheld every single day.
“Integrity has to become the moral infrastructure of our institutional transformation,” the Rector said.
With a target of achieving WBK-WBBM status by 2028, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta now begins that long journey with one essential step: building a culture of integrity present in its systems, its services, its education, and in the everyday conduct of everyone on campus. (humassk)