Yogyakarta, June 3, 2026 — The Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta reaffirmed its role as a superior, creative, innovative, inclusive, and globally competitive national art higher education institution through the Open Senate Session for its 42nd Anniversary, held at the ISI Yogyakarta Concert Hall. Carrying the theme “Redefining Art Impact: Art, Humanity, and Creativity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” this year's anniversary momentum marks an important turning point for ISI Yogyakarta in reformulating the impact of art education amidst major changes in technology, digital culture, and artificial intelligence.
The Rector of ISI Yogyakarta, Dr. Irwandi, M.Sn., emphasized in his speech that the 42-year journey of ISI Yogyakarta is not just a commemoration of the institution's age, but a reflection of the long endeavor in building academic tradition, strengthening cultural values, and presenting art as a force for social transformation. Since its establishment in 1984 through the merger of the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta (ASRI), the Indonesian Academy of Music (AMI), and the Indonesian Academy of Dance (ASTI), ISI Yogyakarta has grown into a major center for arts education that brings together tradition, innovation, critical thinking, and cross-disciplinary creative practice.
The theme of the 42nd Dies Natalis is relevant due to the advancements in Artificial Intelligence, which have transformed how humans work, learn, communicate, and create. ISI Yogyakarta views AI not as a threat to be rejected, but as a challenge to be understood, critiqued, and wisely directed. In this context, art campuses play a crucial role in ensuring that technology remains within the framework of human values, ethics, aesthetics, empathy, and culture.
“Art is never just about the final product,” became a key emphasis in the Rector's speech. Art is born from life experiences, inner turmoil, social contexts, cultural values, and human reflection. Therefore, art education in the AI era is not only required to produce works but also to foster creative individuals capable of providing ethical, aesthetic, and cultural direction for society.
The strengthening of ISI Yogyakarta's position as a globally renowned art institution is marked by a number of strategic achievements. By 2026, ISI Yogyakarta will be ranked among the Top 500 QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, with its Faculty of Fine Arts and Design placing 151–200 globally for the Art & Design subject. This achievement further solidifies the international recognition of the academic quality, works, research, and fine arts and design ecosystem developed by ISI Yogyakarta.
In the same year, eight study programs at ISI Yogyakarta successfully obtained international accreditation from FIBAA, an accreditation agency from Germany. These study programs include Interior Design, Visual Communication Design, Product Design, Fine Arts, Crafts, Art Management, Film and Television, and Photography. At the national level, the Crafts Study Program achieved an "Unggul" (Excellent) rating from BAN-PT, while the Performing Arts Education Study Program received "Unggul" accreditation from LAMDIK.
ISI Yogyakarta's reputation is also strengthened through student achievements at national and international levels, including in the fields of interior design, theater, music, choir, and other art competitions. ISI Yogyakarta lecturers further broaden international recognition through guest professor programs, lecture exchanges, Erasmus+ mobility, DAAD Exchange Program, international forums in Russia, and Australia Awards short courses in intellectual property for the animation industry.
In the fields of research and community service, ISI Yogyakarta has recorded significant growth. In 2016, ISI Yogyakarta secured 17 research grant titles from Kemdiktsitek with a total funding of over IDR 2.6 billion. In the area of community service, ISI Yogyakarta obtained 12 grant titles, bringing the total grants for ISI Yogyakarta this year to 29 national grants. This achievement demonstrates that art, culture, and innovation are not only present as aesthetic expressions but also as drivers of research and community empowerment.
Institutionally, ISI Yogyakarta also strengthens its inclusive direction through the 2025–2029 Strategic Plan. ISI Yogyakarta's vision is expanded to become a superior, creative, innovative, and inclusive national higher education institution for the arts based on Pancasila. This direction is realized through strengthening infrastructure, disability services, optimizing student and guest dormitories, opening widely accessible Open Classes, and the Recognition of Prior Learning pathway in six study programs: Dance, Ethnomusicology, Fine Arts, Interior Design, Film and Television, and Photography.
The strengthening of institutional governance and reputation is also reflected in ISI Yogyakarta's achievements in the 2025 Diktisaintek Award. ISI Yogyakarta successfully won six awards, including the Best State Property Manager in the PTN Satker category, Best International Cooperation Gold Medal, Best Government and NGO Cooperation Gold Medal, Best Magazine Subcategory Gold Medal through Varta Sarasvati Magazine, Best Integrated Service Unit Subcategory Gold Medal, and Best Website Subcategory Bronze Medal.
In this Dies Natalis forum, the scientific lecture was delivered by Dr. Mikke Susanto, S.Sn., M.A. with the title “Family Photo Album: Us, Archive Governance, and Algorithms.” Through reflections on family photo albums, domestic archives, digital culture, and algorithms, the scientific lecture demonstrated that art plays a crucial role in preserving memory, identity, privacy, and human values amidst an increasingly digitized civilization. Art higher education institutions like ISI Yogyakarta are seen as having a strategic position to connect aesthetics, ethics, local wisdom, and algorithms in reading the future of culture.
The series of events for the 42nd Dies Natalis of ISI Yogyakarta also included various academic, artistic, and international agendas, ranging from a music documentary film festival, concerts, a national seminar on art and AI, the Australia Art Orchestra residency, an international symposium, exhibitions, workshops, film screenings, a fashion show, the International Djogja Earth Sound Fest, to the Indonesian Lecturer Theater Festival. All these agendas demonstrate that ISI Yogyakarta is not only an educational space but also a center for knowledge production, cultural diplomacy, and a continuously evolving creative ecosystem.
Through academic achievements, international reputation, accreditation, research, community service, governance, and critical response to AI developments, ISI Yogyakarta continues to solidify its position as a leading art higher education institution in Indonesia. At 42 years old, ISI Yogyakarta continues to operate as a center of excellence for arts and culture, rooted in tradition, open to innovation, and oriented towards tangible contributions to society, the nation, and world civilization.
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