There is something the students of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta are preparing before stepping into the PORSI JAWARA II arena. Not just physical readiness, skill, or competitive strategy, but also trust in their teammates and the conviction that they carry the name of their alma mater with them.
Nearly 100 students from UIN Sunan Kalijaga will take part in the second Pekan Olahraga, Seni, dan Ilmiah Perguruan Tinggi Keagamaan Islam Negeri (PORSI JAWARA II — Islamic State Higher Education Sports, Arts, and Scientific Week) at UIN K.H. Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan, September 9–13, 2026. They come from a wide range of sports, arts, and academic disciplines. Though they will compete in different arenas, they set out with a single identity: the UIN Sunan Kalijaga contingent.
That spirit of togetherness was built through the Capacity Building for the UIN Sunan Kalijaga PORSI JAWARA II Contingent, held at Omah Kecebong, Sleman, on Thursday (9/3/2026). Over the course of a full day, the students not only received briefings to prepare for the competition, but were also encouraged to get acquainted, interact, and build cohesion through a series of shared activities.
For the Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Cooperation of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Prof. Abdur Rozaki, the gathering was an important opportunity to unite students who have, until now, trained separately within their respective competition branches.
“Briefings like this actually build team cohesion. When we take part in a competition, we carry the good name of UIN Sunan Kalijaga. That's why we want our contingent's athletes to have solidarity as one team, not just as separate units representing different events,” he said.
Because when the competition begins, they may find themselves standing in different arenas. But the spirit they carry remains the same: supporting one another and giving their best for UIN Sunan Kalijaga.
Prof. Abdur Rozaki said that the drive to become champions must go hand in hand with sportsmanship and friendship. Winning is certainly the hope, but the process of getting there is just as important a part of the student experience.
“In the upcoming competition, we want to see the principles of sportsmanship, friendship, and of course the competitive spirit to become champions. So being a champion isn't enough if it comes at the expense of sportsmanship and friendship,” he said.
That spirit was also expressed in a distinctly Yogyakarta way. During the capacity-building activity, students wore traditional Javanese attire and took part in a series of activities that highlighted Yogyakarta's local wisdom.
For Prof. Abdur Rozaki, this simple gesture served as a reminder that the students are not only carrying the name of the university, but are also part of Yogyakarta itself.
“As part of the strength of Yogyakarta, UIN Sunan Kalijaga wants to educate its students to know and preserve (nguri-uri) the traditions and cultural character of Yogyakarta,” he said.
In this way, the competitive spirit is never separated from cultural roots and character. Students are encouraged to stay connected to where they come from, even as they boldly step forward and compete on a wider stage.
For UIN Sunan Kalijaga, PORSI JAWARA II is not the only point at which student achievement is built. Competition is just one part of a much longer journey of talent development.
Prof. Abdur Rozaki explained that the university continues working to build an ecosystem that allows students to discover, hone, and develop their abilities.
That process begins with regular, routine training. Students are also supported with facilities, infrastructure, and equipment so they have adequate space to develop their skills in sports, the arts, science, and other areas of talent.(humassk)
After training, students need the opportunity to test their abilities beyond campus. That is why UIN Sunan Kalijaga continues to expand student access to various national and international competitions.
“The training they build up day by day, week by week, month by month eventually develops into a competitive mindset once they gain access to different events, which helps their talent grow even further,” he explained.
From there, students learn more than just how to win a match. They learn to handle pressure, accept defeat, respect their opponents, work together, and try again when they have not yet succeeded.
The journey of high-achieving students also does not stop once a medal is in hand. UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta provides recognition through Kalijaga Prestasi (Kalijaga Achievement Award), including for students who excel at the national and international level, take part in international conferences, or produce work that earns Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), including patents.
Such achievements are then expected to inspire other students.
“[They become] role models among students themselves, so that other students can draw inspiration from them,” said Prof. Abdur Rozaki.
With high-achieving students serving as role models, one person's success is not meant to remain merely a personal story. It can become a story that motivates other students to dare to try.
That spirit also grows through student creative communities, both within and outside official Student Activity Units (UKM). Within these communities, students can meet peers who share the same interests, learn from one another, exchange ideas, and grow together.
“We want to build epistemic communities, creative communities, that can help this atmosphere and culture of achievement take root among all UIN students,” he said.
At the upcoming PORSI JAWARA II, UIN Sunan Kalijaga's goal is, of course, to achieve the best possible results.
“Our target is for these students to become champions, to win gold medals. That means they are able to rise to the challenge,” Prof. Abdur Rozaki affirmed.
Yet there is something more lasting that the university hopes to leave behind through their participation: the conviction that becoming a champion is never something that happens overnight. It comes from training, the courage to try, competitive experience, the support of friends, and an environment that helps a student keep growing.
For that reason, Prof. Abdur Rozaki hopes that a tradition of achievement will become even more deeply embedded in the lives of UIN Sunan Kalijaga students.
“We hope that a tradition of championship, a tradition of achievement, becomes a strong character trait among UIN Sunan Kalijaga students,” he said.
In the end, nearly 100 students will set off for Pekalongan carrying the hope of victory. But they also carry something equally important: the experience of learning to work as one team, the courage to face challenges, the spirit of upholding their alma mater's good name, and the awareness that every achievement always grows out of a process.
Through training, togetherness, and the courage to try, UIN Sunan Kalijaga continues to nurture a tradition of achievement: one student, one experience, and one accomplishment at a time.(humassk)