Integrating Sustainable Development Education into University Learning and Student Orientation at UIN Jakarta

Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta is committed to promoting meaningful education for sustainable development by integrating environmental awareness, social responsibility, and sustainability principles into its institutional policies, student-orientation programmes, and academic activities. The University recognises that achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires students to understand global sustainability challenges and develop the knowledge, values, and behaviours needed to contribute to a more equitable and sustainable society.

Through its Green Campus Policy, academic development initiatives, and university-wide Introduction to Academic and Student Culture programme (Pengenalan Budaya Akademik dan Kemahasiswaan, PBAK), Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta has established opportunities for students from different academic disciplines to engage with sustainability-related education. During 2024–2025, the University reinforced this commitment through formal institutional policies, environmental education programmes, mandatory student orientation, and the integration of environmental awareness into academic development.

1. Establishing an Institutional Commitment to Education for Sustainable Development

On 21 October 2024, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta established Rector's Decree Number 1415 of 2024 concerning the Green Campus Policy. The decree provides a formal institutional framework for promoting sustainable campus development and incorporating sustainability into University activities.

The policy supports the integration of environmental responsibility into education, research, community engagement, and institutional operations. By adopting the Green Campus Policy, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta recognises that sustainability should not be limited to environmental infrastructure but should also influence the values, knowledge, and behaviour of members of its academic community.

The policy contributes to the University's wider commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and provides a foundation for educational initiatives relevant to students from different academic backgrounds.

2. Introducing Sustainability Education through PBAK 2024

Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta incorporated sustainability education into its Introduction to Academic and Student Culture programme in August 2024. The University's student orientation adopted the theme Sustainable Campus, Continuous Achievement, reflecting its commitment to combining academic development with environmental responsibility.

On 28 August 2024, the University organised a Green Campus seminar as part of the orientation activities. The programme featured representatives from the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) and Greenpeace Indonesia, who discussed environmental protection and the importance of sustainable practices.

Students from several faculties participated in the documented sessions, including the Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, Faculty of Dirasat Islamiyah, Faculty of Health Sciences, and Faculty of Ushuluddin. The seminar encouraged students to recognise the relationship between everyday activities, ecological protection, and sustainable campus development.

By incorporating environmental education into an institutional orientation programme, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta introduced sustainability values to students at the beginning of their university experience.

3. Formalising Green Campus Education in the 2025 Student Orientation Guidelines

Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta further strengthened its approach through the official 2025 Student Orientation Guidelines. The guidelines explicitly include the University's strategic Green Campus Policy within the general orientation materials.

Green Campus principles are also incorporated into the academic and non-academic preparation components of the programme. The guidelines reinforce the University's institutional motto, Innovation, Green, Humanity, which connects innovation and academic development with environmental responsibility and human values. The Green component emphasises environmental awareness and the responsibility to protect nature, while Humanity promotes respect for diversity and social solidarity.

These principles establish a broader educational approach linking environmental sustainability with social responsibility and responsible conduct. Importantly, the student-orientation programme is designed as a University activity rather than a programme limited to students enrolled in environmental or sustainability-related degrees.

4. Delivering Sustainability Awareness through Mandatory Orientation

On 19 August 2025, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta conducted an online orientation session introducing University policies, student services, and Green Campus practices to incoming students. The event was attended by thousands of new students through Zoom and the University's official YouTube channel.

During the programme, students were introduced to measures supporting sustainable campus management, including reducing plastic waste, using electric buses, and limiting unnecessary motorised transportation. The orientation also addressed student well-being, institutional integrity, and prevention of sexual violence, connecting responsible environmental practices with the wider development of a safe and respectful university community.

Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta identifies PBAK as a compulsory annual programme for new students. Accordingly, the inclusion of Green Campus education in the orientation provides a structured channel for introducing sustainability principles to incoming students across the University. This demonstrates a mandatory sustainability-related educational component for new students, while the available evidence does not establish a separate compulsory SDG course for all enrolled students.

5. Connecting Sustainability Education with Academic Curricula

Beyond student orientation, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta has reported efforts to incorporate environmental awareness into academic curricula. The University's 2025 Performance Report identifies the insertion of environmental-care materials into the curriculum as one of its Green Campus development initiatives.

The same report connects the University's contributions to the SDGs with policies, curricula, research, and community engagement. This institutional reporting demonstrates that education for sustainable development is recognised as part of academic development, rather than solely as an extracurricular activity.

The integration of environmental themes provides opportunities for students to understand how sustainability relates to their areas of study. However, the publicly available evidence reviewed for this indicator does not establish that sustainability-related learning outcomes are present in every degree programme or that all students must complete a dedicated SDG course.

Further curriculum mapping would strengthen the University's documentation of institution-wide integration.

6. Promoting Practical Sustainability Awareness

Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta's educational initiatives emphasise sustainability-related behaviour that students can apply within the campus environment. The University's Green Campus orientation encourages responsible practices related to waste reduction, energy consumption, mobility, and environmental protection.
These subjects are relevant to several Sustainable Development Goals, including:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being;

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy;

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities;

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production;

• SDG 13: Climate Action.

The University's broader student-orientation activities also address respectful behaviour, safety, and protection from sexual violence, which relate to social dimensions of sustainable development. Through these interconnected themes, students are encouraged to recognise sustainability as a responsibility extending beyond individual academic disciplines.

7. Supporting Sustainability through the University's Academic Community

Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta's commitment to sustainability education is reinforced through its wider institutional development activities. The University's Green Campus initiatives involve academic faculties, administrative departments, student organisations, and environmental stakeholders.

The participation of external environmental organisations in the 2024 student-orientation seminar demonstrates the University's efforts to connect sustainability education with knowledge and experience beyond the campus. The establishment of the Green Campus Development Centre in 2025 further strengthened the University's institutional capacity to coordinate sustainability-related programmes.

These arrangements support continued opportunities for collaboration, awareness development, and the incorporation of sustainability concerns into academic and campus life.

8. Improving Sustainability Learning and Monitoring

Meaningful education for sustainable development requires not only educational activities but also mechanisms for evaluating their reach and effectiveness. Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta's existing policies and programmes provide a foundation for strengthening sustainability education across the University.

Further improvements could include comprehensive curriculum mapping, clear learning outcomes linked to individual SDGs, student-participation records, and assessment of sustainability knowledge. Documentation of these elements would allow the University to demonstrate more precisely how sustainability education reaches students across different faculties and programmes.

Such measures would also support continuous improvement in sustainability literacy and student engagement.

9. Contribution to SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta demonstrates an institutional commitment to meaningful education for sustainable development through formal policies, student-orientation programmes, and academic development initiatives.

Rector's Decree Number 1415 of 2024 establishes a Green Campus framework that connects sustainability with University activities. The 2024 student-orientation programme introduced environmental education through seminars involving external environmental organisations, while the 2025 Student Orientation Guidelines explicitly incorporated Green Campus principles into the University's orientation materials.

The University's compulsory PBAK programme provides a structured opportunity for incoming students to engage with sustainability-related education regardless of their academic discipline. Furthermore, the University's 2025 Performance Report documents efforts to incorporate environmental awareness into academic curricula.

Together, these institutional policies and educational programmes demonstrate Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta's commitment to providing meaningful sustainability-related education and encouraging students to understand their responsibilities in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. These initiatives contribute to SDG 17, particularly Indicator 17.4.1, by strengthening institution-wide opportunities for sustainability education, promoting cross-disciplinary awareness, and connecting academic development with responsible environmental and social practices.

Source :
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