As Indonesia's oldest State Islamic Religious Higher Education Institution (PTKIN), UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta has now completed a 75-year journey. That journey began with the aspiration to bring Islamic higher education to a newly independent nation. Today, UIN Sunan Kalijaga has grown into a university that brings together Islamic scholarship with science, technology, social sciences, and the humanities, while earning recognition on the world stage.

This historical trajectory and set of achievements formed the core of the scholarly address delivered by UIN Sunan Kalijaga Rector, Prof. Noorhaidi Hasan, at the Open Senate Session marking the university's 75th Anniversary (Dies Natalis), held Monday (9/28/2026) at the Multipurpose Building on campus. The session was opened by University Senate Chair Prof. Kamsi and attended by hundreds of lecturers, staff, and university partners.

Before those gathered, the Rector took the audience back to 1951, when the Perguruan Tinggi Agama Islam Negeri (PTAIN) was established in Yogyakarta. From PTAIN, the institution grew into IAIN, and later into UIN. Each change in institutional form accompanied the university's ongoing effort to keep pace with the demands of the times and expand the range of academic fields it develops.

“Beginning from the aspiration to bring Islamic higher education to Indonesia and to support the ideals of the nation's proclamation of independence, UIN Sunan Kalijaga has now grown into a university that brings together Islamic scholarship with science, technology, social sciences, and the humanities, while strengthening its role at both the national and global level,” he said.

At 75 years old, the results of this long journey are reflected in a range of academic achievements. In the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, UIN Sunan Kalijaga's field of Theology, Divinity, and Religious Studies ranked 37th in the world. In the SCImago Institutions Rankings 2026, its Religious Studies field ranked 7th in the world, the highest among PTKIN institutions. Its Philosophy field ranked 3rd nationally.

“In line with UIN Sunan Kalijaga's success in raising the accreditation standing of its study programs as well as obtaining international accreditation from FIBAA and ASIIN, international academic recognition has come one after another,” he said.

Beyond that, Prof. Noorhaidi also highlighted the university's research productivity and scholarly publication output. Based on SINTA data he presented, UIN Sunan Kalijaga ranks at the top among PTKIN institutions. This achievement, he said, stems from the work of lecturers and researchers continually advancing knowledge and expanding collaboration.

The address also showed that the university's development spans multiple fronts. In the UI GreenMetric 2026 rankings, UIN Sunan Kalijaga rose to 31st place nationally, up from 57th the previous year. The university also received the award for Best Substantive Improvement in Sustainability Performance in Indonesia. In the THE (Times Higher Education) 2026 sustainability rankings, UIN Sunan Kalijaga placed within the 601–800 band worldwide.

This attention to the environment has also shaped plans for the development of Campus II in Pajangan, built around the “forest campus” concept. The main road that will serve as the area's basic infrastructure has begun to take shape. Construction of lecture hall buildings is expected to begin next year.

“The development of Campus II is also being carried out to sustainably improve learning facilities and infrastructure, partly in response to the continually growing interest among prospective students in studying at UIN Sunan Kalijaga, including international students from various countries,” the Rector said.

In terms of governance, the Rector continued, UIN Sunan Kalijaga achieved, for the first time, the qualification of "Informative Public Body" in the Central Information Commission's evaluation late last year. Meanwhile, the opening of the Medical Study Program and the Professional Medical Education Program in 2026 marks the expansion of the university's contribution in the field of health. Prof. Noorhaidi noted that this scholarly development is also directed toward responding to society's needs, including through promotive and preventive efforts for elderly health.

Having guided the audience through the university's history and its achievements to date, the Rector turned his address toward a question about the future. Rankings and recognition, he said, serve as a foundation for generating broader benefit.

“These achievements are certainly something we should be grateful for. But on the occasion of this 75th Anniversary, I want to invite us to look at rankings from a more fundamental perspective. Rankings tell us that our academic hard work is beginning to gain recognition. They show that our research is starting to be read by the world. They demonstrate that the tradition of Islamic scholarship we have built in Yogyakarta can engage in dialogue and compete within the global academic landscape,” he said.

From a journey that began in 1951, UIN Sunan Kalijaga now looks toward a new chapter. The academic excellence built over 75 years serves as the foundation for extending the benefit of knowledge beyond national borders.

“A great university is one whose knowledge is needed, whose ideas are heard, whose innovations are used, whose graduates are trusted, and whose presence brings about change,” said Prof. Noorhaidi. For UIN Sunan Kalijaga, that aspiration is what now guides its next steps: From Academic Excellence to Global Impact. (humassk)