History

IAIN Surakarta which was ratified through Presidential Regulation No. 1 of 2011 is the result of the transfer of status from the State Islamic High School (STAIN) Surakarta. Furthermore, STAIN Surakarta which was established on June 30, 1997 (25 Safar 1418 H) originally came from IAIN Walisongo in Surakarta which was established on September 12, 1992. The establishment of IAIN Walisongo in Surakarta was the idea of ​​H. Munawir Sadzali, MA. as Minister of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia—as a pilot project to improve the quality of existing IAINs that are considered not yet ideal and still require a lot of improvement. The hope of H. Munawir Sadzali, MA at that time was for IAIN Walisongo in Surakarta to be able to present itself as a leading IAIN that produces graduates who are highly competitive and have academic achievements that are recognized by credible institutions.

That is why, the input of IAIN Walisongo students in Surakarta comes from graduates of MANPK (Madrasah Aliyah Negeri Special Programs from all over Indonesia) a very excellent and preferred student input and is expected to be a pilot project. However, for about 5 years IAIN Walisongo in Surakarta was running, on June 30, 1997 through the policy of the new Minister of Religion at that time, Drs. Malik Fadjar, M.Sc. IAIN Walisongo in Surakarta was converted into a State Islamic College (STAIN) Surakarta. This policy also stipulates all filial faculties (regional faculties) such as the Syari'ah Faculty in Pekalongan and the Ushuludin Faculty in Kudus which had previously been relocated to Surakarta to become STAIN Pekalongan and STAIN Kudus.

The policy of the Minister of Religion at that time, Drs. Malik Fadjar, M.Sc. taken to restore filial faculties, including STAIN Surakarta, to become the pride of Muslims in the region and can develop according to their local potential. It seems that the policy of the Minister of Religion regarding the establishment of regional faculties into STAIN, especially STAIN Surakarta, has given a kind of blessing in disguise. Through hard work and continuous efforts towards improving academic quality for 13 years, finally on January 3, 2011 STAIN Surakarta transformed into IAIN Surakarta with three faculties, namely: Faculty of Ushuludin and Da'wah, Faculty of Sharia and Islamic Economics, and Faculty of Tarbiyah. and Language. This transition is truly a joy and pride for the entire academic community and the entire Islamic community in Surakarta. Pride increased when on July 28, 2011 IAIN Surakarta was inaugurated by the Minister of Religion Drs. H. Suryadharma Ali, M.Si as well as the inauguration of the first Chancellor without any obstacles. Thus, this transition is a mandate that must be carried out with full responsibility and must continue to be used as a moment of truth for IAIN Surakarta to portray itself as an agent of Islamization and an agent of social change.

Furthermore, with its new status, IAIN Surakarta has potentials including: historical potential (has a long history of Javanese civilization), geographical location (located in the golden triangle: Yogyakarta-Semarang/Salatiga-Surabaya plus the availability of Adisumarmo International Airport), and abundant human resources (because it is close to the surrounding higher education institutions), then its development in the future is very possible and has open opportunities. This argument is shown through the records or data of graduates which since its establishment on September 12, 1992 until 2011/2012 this institution has graduated approximately 13,000 students. Other data can also be mentioned by the fact that from year to year the interest of students who choose to study at IAIN Surakarta continues to increase. Now by having 23 undergraduate study programs, 4 study programs in masters and 1 doctoral study program in postgraduate studies) as well as preparation for the opening of other study programs that are relevant to the demands of the educational community, IAIN Surakarta is expected to be able to carry out the mandate of transferring status to education. better direction and more capacity.