A total of 102 first-year students in the Social Welfare Study Program (IKS) at the Faculty of Da’wa and Communication, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, took part in the university’s 2026 Academic and Student Culture Orientation, known by its Indonesian acronym, PBAK. The three-day program ran from Wednesday through Friday, Aug. 19–21, 2026, with scheduled activities taking place from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This year’s incoming class reflects a strikingly diverse geographic and demographic profile. Of the 102 students, 72, or 70.6 percent, are women, while 30, or 29.4 percent, are men. Together, they represent 17 provinces and 59 regencies and cities across Indonesia.

The largest group comes from the Special Region of Yogyakarta, with 33 students, or 32.4 percent of the class. Central Java follows with 21 students, or 20.6 percent; West Java with 18, or 17.6 percent; and East Java with 10, or 9.8 percent. The remaining students come from a broad sweep of the country, including Aceh, Riau, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Bengkulu, Lampung, the Bangka Belitung Islands, the Riau Islands, Banten, Jakarta, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan and West Nusa Tenggara.

The PBAK program serves as the students’ first formal introduction to academic life, student activities and the broader campus community at UIN Sunan Kalijaga. The orientation began on Wednesday, Aug. 19, before moving into faculty-level activities the following day. It concluded on Friday, Aug. 21, with closing activities and announcements related to events and competitions held during the orientation period.

This year, the Faculty of Da’wa and Communication organized its PBAK around the theme, “Developing Students’ Critical Reasoning as a Foundation for Strengthening Their Roles as Agents of Change, Social Control and the Nation’s Future Leaders in the Era of Digital Transformation.” The program included academic sessions, presentations by student organizations, focus group discussions and a band expo.

For the incoming Social Welfare students, PBAK is more than an administrative introduction to university life. It marks an early opportunity to understand the academic identity, professional orientation and values that will shape their education in social welfare. Their varied hometowns, experiences and backgrounds are expected to contribute to a more inclusive learning environment while broadening the perspectives they bring to understanding social problems.

With 102 students from 17 provinces joining the program this year, the Social Welfare Study Program at UIN Sunan Kalijaga welcomes the Class of 2026 as a new generation preparing to learn, grow and cultivate a deeper commitment to social well-being. Their diversity converges around a shared purpose: to develop the knowledge and skills needed to help devise meaningful solutions to social welfare challenges in communities across Indonesia.