On Friday, September 26, 2025, graduates of the Social Welfare Studies Program (IKS) at UIN Sunan Kalijaga came together for a reunion in South Jakarta, marking a moment of reconnection and reflection. The gathering, held at Rumah Daharan Jagakarsa, brought together some 20 alumni from cohorts spanning 2009 to 2021.

Among the attendees were figures central to the program’s history. Prof. Dr. H. Waryono, who served as the program’s first head between 2009 and 2012 and now directs Waqf and Zakat at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, joined the event alongside Muhammad Izzul Haq, Ph.D., the current head of the undergraduate program, and M. Ulil Absor, M.Si., who leads the Master’s Program in Social Welfare.

The program opened with introductions and welcoming remarks, before giving way to an informal discussion and a sharing session. Alumni exchanged stories of campus life, nostalgia, and visions for strengthening the network in years ahead.

Agung Prastowo, chair of the AKSES Advisory Board and part of the program’s first graduating class in 2009, urged the association to define clear, measurable goals for its role as an alumni body.

By the close of the evening, participants reached a consensus: this would not be the last such gathering. The alumni pledged to make reunions a regular fixture—deepening connections, reinforcing solidarity, and contributing to both the advancement of the IKS program and the wider community.