UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta continues to strengthen its role as a university that excels not only academically, but also delivers real innovation and impact for society, as well as for the business and industrial sectors. This commitment was reflected, among other things, in the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) between UIN Sunan Kalijaga leadership and representatives of the business world, held in the Rector's Office on Tuesday (8/8/2026).

The forum brought together UIN Sunan Kalijaga's leadership with business figures and practitioners to build a space for dialogue on strengthening partnerships, developing research, and exploring opportunities for the downstream application of university innovations, so that they carry real benefit as well as potential for further development in response to the needs of society and industry.

The FGD was attended by UIN Sunan Kalijaga Rector Prof. Noorhaidi Hasan, Vice Rector for General Administration, Planning, and Finance Prof. Mochamad Sodik, Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Cooperation Prof. Abdur Rozaki, Head of LPPM Dr. Abdul Qoyum, Head of LPM (Quality Assurance Institute) Prof. Dwi Agustina Kurniawati, Head of the AAKK Bureau Dr. H. Muhammad Luthfi Hamid, and Head of AUK Dr. Ali Sodiq.

Also present were President Commissioner of PT Saratoga Investama Sedaya Tbk. Edwin Soeryadjaya, Professor of Islamic Legal Philosophy at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Prof. H. Shofiyullah Muzammil, CEO of the Mubarok Institute Fadhil As. Mubarok, and Secretary General of the Mubarok Institute Herry Purnomo.

Opening the forum, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Rector Prof. Noorhaidi Hasan affirmed the university's development direction as an excellent, globally reputable institution rooted in Islamic values while delivering impact for the world. This orientation serves as the foundation for UIN Sunan Kalijaga to continue expanding its network of partnerships while ensuring that academic and research excellence can be translated into broader benefit.

In his presentation, Head of LPPM UIN Sunan Kalijaga Dr. Abdul Qoyum outlined the development of UIN Sunan Kalijaga's academic and research reputation in recent years. These achievements are reflected, among other things, in various international rankings, such as UIN Sunan Kalijaga's position in the 2025 World University Rankings for Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies, the 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, and other rankings that reflect recognition of the university's academic contributions and its commitment to sustainable development.

According to him, this growing reputation needs to be matched by a stronger research ecosystem capable of producing innovations with real benefit and further development potential.

UIN Sunan Kalijaga currently has 1,521 research titles produced between 2020 and 2026. Of that total, 281 studies are relevant to the needs of the business and industrial sectors, 486 are relevant to community needs, and 491 relate to the field of education.

“Research should not stop at being research, what matters is how that research generates impact,” was the general direction of research development conveyed at the forum.

This commitment is reflected in the development of 30 student innovations grouped into five clusters: Green Technology & Circular Economy; Health, Food & Bioproducts; Smart Devices & Digital Technology; Education, Social & Creative Innovation; and Inclusive Technology & Well-being.

A number of leading research projects are also beginning to move toward downstream application, including the development of sea grapes as a supplement or nutraceutical ingredient, and the use of banana stems for bioethanol development and nanomagnetic adsorbents. This downstream process is being carried out in stages, starting from validation, prototype development, pilot projects, regulatory compliance, through to market demonstration.

This direction reflects UIN Sunan Kalijaga's effort to build a stronger bridge connecting knowledge, innovation, community needs, and the industrial sector.

Beyond research, UIN Sunan Kalijaga's contribution is also reinforced through community service programs. One concrete example of this contribution is reflected in the implementation of KKN, which reaches a wide range of regions.

UIN Sunan Kalijaga students are involved in community assistance across roughly 330 villages or locations spread across 10 regions/provinces, with an estimated 33,000 beneficiaries. This achievement forms part of the university's effort to strengthen its societal impact and ensure that the presence of higher education can be felt directly by communities.

It is within this context that partnership with the business and industrial world takes on strategic significance. Collaboration not only opens opportunities for innovation development, but also enables knowledge exchange, data utilization, network strengthening, and the development of solutions more relevant to real-world needs.

President Commissioner of PT Saratoga Investama Sedaya Tbk. Edwin Soeryadjaya welcomed the idea of collaboration between universities and the business world. According to him, there is significant room for cooperation that can be developed, including through the mutual use of data and knowledge held by each party.

Meanwhile, CEO of the Mubarok Institute Fadhil As. Mubarok said UIN Sunan Kalijaga has an increasingly strong academic and institutional foundation to compete with leading universities in Indonesia. He encouraged UIN Sunan Kalijaga to continue developing its capacity and reputation so it can compete with the country's best universities.

Strengthening institutional quality is also progressing through academic quality development. Head of LPM UIN Sunan Kalijaga Prof. Ir. Dwi Agustina Kurniawati reported that UIN Sunan Kalijaga currently has 10 faculties and one graduate school, with 40 study programs in total. Around 70 percent of its study programs have achieved “Unggul” (Excellent) accreditation, while a number of programs have also obtained international accreditation.

Looking ahead, UIN Sunan Kalijaga aims to increase the number of internationally accredited study programs as part of strengthening the university's competitiveness and global reputation.

On the side of student development and internationalization, Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Cooperation Prof. Abdur Rozaki explained the various scholarship schemes available to students, including KIP (Indonesia Smart Card scholarships) and scholarships for international students, along with support from various partner institutions.

The presence of international students from various regions, including Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, forms part of UIN Sunan Kalijaga's effort to build an increasingly inclusive and globally minded academic environment.

UIN Sunan Kalijaga is also preparing the development of Campus II in Pajangan, as part of the university's long-term development agenda. This infrastructure development is aimed at supporting the university's future needs for academic expansion, research, and various institutional development activities.

Through this FGD with the business and industrial world, UIN Sunan Kalijaga affirmed its commitment to building a university ecosystem increasingly open to collaboration. Academic excellence, global reputation, innovative research, student development, and social contribution are being directed to converge within a single ecosystem that generates real value and impact.

In this way, partnership with the business and industrial world is not merely an expansion of networks, but part of UIN Sunan Kalijaga's broader strategy to translate its academic strengths into relevant innovation, productive collaboration, and tangible impact for society and the world. (humassk)