New Students Explore Campus 5.0 at GENIUS UNU Jogja, from Becoming AI Pilots to a University Orientation Game

Yogyakarta, Indonesia - UNU Jogja is preparing to become a Campus 5.0, where higher education can align with the latest technological developments while remaining grounded in human values in preparing for the society of the future. At this Nahdliyin university, the values of Aswaja An-Nahdliyah serve as a guiding principle in advancing academic achievements.

The vision of becoming a Campus 5.0 was reflected in the implementation of UNU Jogja’s New Student Campus Life Orientation Program (PKKMB), GENIUS 2026, which entered its second day on Wednesday (September 23, 2026). This year, GENIUS, or Gebyar Orientasi dan Unjuk Ekspresi, held from September 22–24, 2026, carries the theme “Upgrade New U: Lead, Impact, and Grow Together.”

As a guide for new students as they begin their academic journey at the Nahdliyin university, UNU Jogja provided a session on “NU and Aswaja” delivered by Muhammad Mustafid, caretaker of the Aswaja Nusantara Islamic Boarding School in Mlangi, Sleman.

Known as Gus Tafid, he explained the establishment of UNU Jogja as one of Nahdlatul Ulama’s higher education institutions, which embraces the principles of Ahlussunah Waljamaah (Aswaja) and emphasizes them in its vision.

“We know that UNU Jogja’s vision is to become an excellent university with global competitiveness in the development of science and technology based on the values of Aswaja An-Nahdliyah. These Aswaja values are important for the entire UNU Jogja academic community, including new students, to understand and put into practice,” he said.

These Aswaja principles include tawasuth, or taking a moderate position without leaning toward either extreme; tawazun, or maintaining balance in one’s relationship with Allah SWT and fellow human beings; tasamuh, or respecting differences in views; and i'tidal, or standing firmly on truth and justice.

“These Aswaja principles and pesantren values serve as a moral foundation for UNU Jogja students as they navigate academic life, engage with society, and prepare for the future,” he added.

With this foundation, new students are expected to be ready to embrace technological developments and modernity, both in academic settings and social life. Technological advancement, particularly the rapid and massive adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), is increasingly difficult to contain.

For this reason, GENIUS 2026 equipped students through a talk show titled “Capable, Ethical, and Wise in Facing AI and the Digital World.” Informatics lecturer Restiadi Bayu Taruno, S.T., M.Eng., delivered a session titled “Designing the Academic Future with AI.” He emphasized that artificial intelligence should be used to support learning, research, and academic writing.

However, he also stressed the importance of ethical AI use as a way to strengthen academic integrity and avoid plagiarism. “Like an aircraft, AI is not an autopilot that takes control of the flight. AI is merely a high-performance instrument that needs you as the pilot to determine the direction, assess risks, and ensure the final destination,” Bayu explained.

RPG-Style Campus Orientation

GENIUS 2026 did more than introduce students to the university through presentations. To provide a direct introduction to the digital world, the program was designed like an interactive game, making campus orientation more engaging and less monotonous.

As part of the activity, new students were required to install an application containing guidelines for participating in the GENIUS 2026 program. Using an application with visuals inspired by the Super Mario Bros. game, new students divided into several groups embarked on an RPG (role-playing game)-style adventure across the six floors of the UNU Jogja Integrated Campus.

Through the activity, students became familiar with the campus environment, including its various rooms and facilities. They also visited a number of booths or stations staffed by different university units and student organizations.

The stations provided not only information and knowledge, but also challenges, missions, and quizzes related to UNU Jogja that the new students had to complete. Those who successfully completed the challenges earned points and digital stamps known in the gaming world as XP, or experience points.

The student team that collected the highest amount of XP received recognition and attractive prizes. The GENIUS 2026 game was inspired by Seeds of Hope, a game created by a UNU Jogja team to introduce a model of student life aligned with sustainability agendas. The game received Special Jury Recognition at the international QS ImpACT Skills Challenge 2026.

GENIUS 2026 Coordinator Jihad Wafa explained that the game-based concept for the PKKMB was designed as a strategy to directly involve new students in getting to know the campus environment in a more participatory way.

“Through this game, new students are also invited to understand the values that will serve as their foundation throughout their studies at UNU Jogja,” Jihad said.*

Reporter : Arif