Wrapped in the proud blue alma mater jacket of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Karina Ade Rahmawati confidently walked into her classroom at the Faculty of Education. Her calm smile showed the joy of a student of the Educational Technology Study Program (Class of 2024), yet behind today’s certainty lay a journey that was not simple.

Karina was born in Kulon Progo Regency on March 23, 2005 and grew up in a humble environment that shaped her into a resilient and determined person. She believed that education was the best way to change her future.

Education in the Society 5.0 era demands that the world of education go beyond mere transfer of knowledge. This challenge was addressed by Roro Wilis, M.Pd., through her master’s thesis which examined the implementation of Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) in history learning at SMA Negeri 9 Yogyakarta. The study emphasized that history learning can be made more meaningful by connecting lesson material to the real life context of students.

Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) highlighted its commitment to inclusive education with the inspiring academic achievement of Liring Anindya Maharani, a deaf student from the Faculty of Sports Science and Health (FIKK).

Despite facing hearing limitations, Liring successfully completed her studies with a Cum Laude distinction and a GPA of 3.75. She enrolled in the Sports Science program in 2021 through an academic achievement admission track.

Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) proudly highlighted the academic and leadership achievements of Desi Safitri, who graduated as the top undergraduate student with a Cumulative GPA of 3.95 at the UNY February 2026 Graduation Ceremony held at GOR UNY on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. Her accomplishment was not instantaneous but the result of a long journey shaped by academic dedication, organizational involvement, and educational service experience.

Students from the Fashion Education Study Program (Program Studi Pendidikan Tata Busana) of the Faculty of Engineering at Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) actively participated in the Pra-Konaspi XII event by providing on-site clothing alteration services for participants’ batik shirts, t-shirts, and pants.

The activity was attended by more than 50 delegates from 12 state teacher training institutions (LPTK) across Indonesia.

Leni Firda Kurnia Sari, a student of the Bachelor’s Program in Javanese Language Education at the Faculty of Language, Arts, and Culture (FBSB), Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), has achieved an outstanding cumulative GPA of 3.99 despite facing early doubts about going to university.

Leni’s academic journey did not begin smoothly. After graduating from SMKN 2 Pengasih, Kulonprogo, she stood at a crossroads between working immediately or continuing to university, but financial limitations made higher education feel like a distant dream.

On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta officially inaugurated three female professors in a formal ceremony held in the Main Meeting Room of the Rectorate. This event was not just an academic formality, but a crucial moment for UNY to strengthen the strategic roles of women academics and accelerate interdisciplinary knowledge development to address increasingly complex global challenges.

Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) together with the Gayam 16 Community of Yogyakarta and the University of Poitiers, France, presented a hybrid performance of Javanese gamelan and traditional French music through the Nusantara Art Innovation Program (PISN) 2025, supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology.

A lecturer from the Department of Indonesian Language and Literature Education (PBSI), Faculty of Languages, Arts, and Culture (FBSB), Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), Dr. Ari Kusmiatun, participated as a visiting lecturer in the SPARK (Supporting Program for Academic and Research Knowledge) 2025 program. The event was held at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS) in China from October 28 to November 27, 2025.

Group 10 students of the Marketing Management B Class of 2025, Faculty of Vocational Studies, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), conducted an outreach activity themed “Together to Reduce Inequality and Promote Equity” at SMPN 1 Pengasih. The activity aimed to enhance students’ understanding of the importance of justice, equality, and inclusivity in line with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduced Inequalities.