Amid the busy schedule of the Learning Socialization (SOSPEM) program for new master's and doctoral students at the Faculty of Sharia and Law (FSH), UIN Sunan Kalijaga, on Friday (9/4/2026), the FSH Media Center became a space for another kind of encounter. There, Maryam, a student from Pakistan, shared the story of how she came to choose Yogyakarta to continue her education. Yet the experience she found at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta made her academic journey feel like far more than simply earning a degree. For this Pakistani student, Yogyakarta offered a new environment in which to learn, exchange perspectives, and get to know Indonesian society and culture up close.

Maryam Dars is an international student in the Master Program at the Faculty of Sharia and Law (FSH), UIN Sunan Kalijaga. She previously completed her Bachelor of Law (LLB) in Pakistan before receiving a scholarship to continue her studies at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta.

Her choice of UIN Sunan Kalijaga was not without reason. As a student with a legal background, Maryam saw the university as offering an academic environment relevant to developing her scholarly perspective.

She was also drawn to UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta's character as an Islamic institution that integrates Islamic values with a wide range of academic disciplines. According to Maryam, this breadth of disciplines is one of the strengths that makes UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta appealing to students from many countries.

However, after settling in Yogyakarta, one thing left the deepest impression on her: the people she met.

For international students, a new environment naturally brings its own challenges. Differences in language, culture, customs, and the education system all require a process of adjustment.

Maryam found that process made easier by the warmth of Indonesian society and the support she felt while at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta.

“I find the people are so kind. They are nurturing, cooperative and benevolent,” she said.

She felt the same warmth from the lecturers at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. According to Maryam, the lecturers not only taught in the classroom, but were also open and supportive toward international students.

“They are so cooperative, kind and supportive to international students,” she said.

For Maryam, that support became an important part of her experience studying in Indonesia. She felt she could interact and learn comfortably, while also having room to develop her academic ideas.

That experience is what made UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, for her, more than just a place to pursue an education; it became an academic environment that brings together students from diverse backgrounds in an open and welcoming atmosphere.

Maryam's academic experience at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta has been further enriched by the research she is currently developing.

As a law graduate and a practicing lawyer, she chose to study the integration of e-court systems in the digitalization of legal systems through a comparative study between Pakistan and Indonesia, while also examining the experiences of other countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia.

According to Maryam, technological advancement has opened new opportunities for delivering a faster and more efficient judicial system.

In both Pakistan and Indonesia, the process of resolving cases, particularly civil cases, can face challenges such as lengthy procedures and case backlogs. For that reason, she believes the implementation of e-court systems can help save time and cost, while also expanding public access to judicial services.

“E-court can reduce the time and cost. It also provides speedy justice,” she explained.

Through electronic systems, a number of processes can be carried out without always requiring litigants to appear physically in court. For people living far from courts or facing limitations in attending in person, digitalization can be part of an effort to deliver more inclusive access to justice.

This research interest also reflects how cross-national academic experience can generate new perspectives. Maryam came from Pakistan with experience in her country's legal system, and went on to study the development of Indonesia's judicial system to find common ground, differences, and potential lessons between the two systems.

The academic and personal experiences Maryam has had in Yogyakarta have given her a special message for international students who are considering their choice of university.

According to her, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta offers a broad educational environment, with a wide range of faculties and study programs. Beyond law and Islamic studies, UIN Sunan Kalijaga also offers fields such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, business, economics, health, and medicine.

“UIN Sunan Kalijaga provides a lot of faculties and majors,” she said.

She also noted that the variety of educational programs and scholarship opportunities available represents a valuable opportunity for students from many countries.

For that reason, Maryam openly recommends UIN Sunan Kalijaga to international students seeking to pursue higher education in Indonesia.

“I definitely recommend UIN Sunan Kalijaga to international students. It provides a lot of programs and scholarships. I highly recommend international students to avail the opportunity,” she said.

Maryam's message reflects her own lived experience. For her, choosing a university is not only about reputation or the study programs available, but also about finding an environment that makes the learning process feel comfortable, open, and supportive.

She came from Pakistan carrying a background in law. In Yogyakarta, she broadened her legal perspective through research on the digitalization of the judiciary, while also discovering a new experience of academic life and Indonesian society.

Her journey illustrates a simple truth: the internationalization of higher education does not happen simply because students arrive from different countries; it happens when they find space to learn from one another, share perspectives, and feel that they belong to an academic community.

And for Maryam, UIN Sunan Kalijaga has become an important part of that journey. (humassk)