Global Rankings and Digital Grit Take Center Stage at UIN Jakarta’s 140th Commencement
JAKARTA, UIN Online News – UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta celebrated a major milestone this weekend, conferring degrees upon 1,557 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral graduates during its 140th Commencement Ceremony. Guided by the theme "Upholding National Ideals: Shaping Competitive and Culturally Grounded Digital Generations," the weekend-long event highlighted the university's rising global prestige and its mission to produce resilient future leaders.
In his commencement address, the Rector of UIN Jakarta, Prof. Asep Saepudin Jahar, Ph.D., lauded the graduates for navigating the emotional and financial rigors of higher education. He reminded them that they are graduating from a globally recognized institution, noting that UIN Jakarta recently clinched the 29th spot worldwide in the prestigious QS World University Rankings for Theology, Divinity, and Religious Studies.
"You have reached the finish line of a demanding academic journey that required immense emotional, physical, and financial sacrifice," Prof. Jahar stated. "As you enter the professional world, carry yourselves with confidence. You are graduating from an institution that stands proudly among the global academic elite."
Demonstrating the university’s commitment to social responsibility, Prof. Jahar also initiated a flash fundraiser during the ceremony through the Social Trust Fund (STF) UIN Jakarta. The drive, aimed at funding scholarships for underprivileged students, successfully raised over IDR 13 million from enthusiastic attendees.
The ceremony spotlighted several exceptional academic achievements that bridged traditional Islamic scholarship with contemporary global issues. Among the top graduates was Alfiena May Shafa’ati, who received the Best Thesis Award in Humanities for her progressive work titled, “Gender Performativity as Resistance: Beatrice Prior’s Struggle Against Patriarchal System in Divergent (2014).”
Representing the alumni network, Colonel Dr. Muttaqin, a senior military officer in the Indonesian Armed Forces, delivered a stirring charge to the graduates. He challenged the digital generation to avoid the trap of online echo chambers and workplace complacency.
"Do not become a fragile generation that retreats into a comfort zone or suffers an emotional crisis at the first sign of online criticism," Colonel Muttaqin urged. "Be fierce! digital warriors who master technology to push the nation forward must maintain the disciplined and the humble heart of a scholar."
Valedictorian Mafatihatul Maqhfiroh, an Arabic Language and Literature graduate, echoed this sentiment by quoting the classic wisdom of Imam Shafi'i: "He who seeks the highest peaks must endure sleepless nights."
In a moving tribute, she added, "I stand here for everyone who has ever doubted themselves, and for every young woman who has ever been underestimated. We can become whoever we choose to be."
The academic rigor of the weekend was balanced by a touch of celebrity star power. Renowned Indonesian spiritual musician Aunur Rofiq Lil Firdaus, universally known as Ustadz Opick, attended the ceremony to watch his daughter, Ghaniya Salma, graduate with a degree in Communication Sciences.
To the delight of the thousands of graduates and parents in attendance, Opick took to the stage to perform three of his most iconic hits, including "Tombo Ati" and "Alhamdulillah," closing the university's historic 140th commencement on a deeply resonant and celebratory note.
(Khoirillah/Zaenal M./Arifin Ilham/Photo: Tiara Abdhie & Alfin Ilham)