Malang, October 6–7, 2025 — Hundreds of academics gathered at Maulana Malik Ibrahim State Islamic University (UIN) Malang for the 13th International Conference of the ELITE Association (ELITE ICON). Among them were four lecturers from the English Literature Study Program, Faculty of Adab and Cultural Sciences, UIN Sunan Kalijaga—Dr. Dwi Margo Yuwono, Dr. Ulyati Retno Sari, Dr. Witriani, and Dr. Arif Budiman—who contributed ideas in both plenary and parallel sessions while preparing structured collaborative agendas for the upcoming period.

The conference opened on Monday (October 6) with welcoming remarks from ELITE President, Prof. Dr. Hj. Like Raskova Octaberlina, followed by the association’s activity report and an address from the Director of the Graduate School. The Rector of UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim inaugurated the academic event as the keynote speaker. During the ceremony, the ELITE Association signed cooperation agreements with several Islamic Higher Education Institutions (PTKIN)—including the English Literature Study Program of UIN Sunan Kalijaga—establishing collaborative opportunities in teaching, joint research, resource exchange, and collective publication.

The plenary forum featured speakers from Indonesia and abroad, including Dr. Melanie Gobert (RELO, U.S. Embassy), Prof. Dr. H. Sujito (UIN Surakarta), Prof. Didin Nuruddin Hidayat, M.A., TESOL, Ph.D. (UIN Jakarta), Dr. Andi Asrifan (Makassar State University), Prof. Alex Ding (University of Leeds), Prof. Dr. Muhammad Kamarul (Universiti Sains Malaysia), and Prof. Yunisrina Qismullah Yusuf (Syiah Kuala University). Discussions spanned from classroom practice to policy, emphasizing context-sensitive and evidence-based approaches to language teaching.

In the afternoon, around 300 presenters delivered papers in both onsite and online parallel sessions. The UIN Sunan Kalijaga delegation presented the following research works:
• Ulyati Retno Sari examined narrative structure and reconciliation in the episode Hadith al-Ifk through Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources by Martin Lings;
• Dwi Margo Yuwono discussed nominal translation deficiencies in the English subtitles of Losmen Bu Broto;
• Witriani highlighted the importance of cultural considerations in achieving holistic English language teaching and learning;
• Arif Budiman, together with student Putri Khaleida, mapped the patterns and functions of English language use in Muslim product store signage in Yogyakarta.

Feedback ranged from technical refinements to curriculum and methodology enhancement. In the evening, a gala dinner was followed by the ELITE board meeting. The participation of Arif Budiman and Ulyati Retno Sari as national board members positioned UIN Sunan Kalijaga within the association’s strategic agenda—covering guest lecture schedules, pedagogy workshops, and joint conference schemes.

The next day (October 7), a follow-up plenary session led by Dr. Melanie Gobert summarized key issues: strengthening academic literacy, promoting adaptive teaching strategies, and emphasizing resource sharing across institutions. The conference concluded with a curated site visit around Malang—a reflective interlude that often sparks continued dialogue and rapid collaborative planning.

Follow-Up Plans and Impact

The delegation outlined a structured post-conference implementation plan: drafting derivative MoA/IA documents from the ELITE–PTKIN partnership, aligning intercampus collaborative research topics, scheduling guest lectures for the upcoming semester, designing ELT workshops, and mapping shared publication channels. These initiatives aim to advance the Tridarma (three pillars of higher education), improve learning quality, and strengthen the research ecosystem within the English Literature Study Program at UIN Sunan Kalijaga.

Beyond the conference halls, the journey itself added a human dimension: departing on Sunday afternoon aboard the Malioboro Ekspres, exchanging greetings with old colleagues at the registration desk, and returning on Tuesday evening via the Malabar 67 train. These simple moments intertwined the academic experience with a sense of warmth—reminding that scholarly partnerships often grow from genuine human encounters.

The 13th ELITE ICON closed on an optimistic note: networks expanded, research disseminated, and joint plans set in motion. The English Literature Study Program of UIN Sunan Kalijaga now looks forward to the academic year ahead with renewed focus on learning quality, publication visibility, and a vibrant scholarly culture that extends from classrooms and campus to the wider public sphere. (DPF/URS/HFS)