Unforeseen, Unshaken
During 19–21 May 2026, Amikom University of Yogyakarta underwent a key moment: a field assessment for the accreditation of the S1 International Relations programme. Over three days, a team of assessors were on site to evaluate the extent to which the programme meets the set quality standards.
Accreditation is a process that requires long and serious preparation. From drafting documents, data completeness, evidence of activities, to the readiness of the entire academic community involved.
But anyone who has undergone a field assessment knows that no amount of preparation can anticipate everything. There will always be unforeseen events that can arise precisely at the most crucial moments.
Unforeseen events can come from assessor questions that go beyond the documents prepared, information systems that suddenly fail, sources giving answers out of context, or technical situations that do not unfold as planned.
How an institution responds to unforeseen events often reveals its level of maturity. A calm, quick, and precise response actually reflects the institution’s capacity, values that exceed mere document completeness.
Accreditation, besides being a verification process of what has been prepared, also tests how we behave when what has not been prepared occurs.
Reflecting on these unforeseen events reminds me of the journey of Najwa, our eldest daughter, who a few weeks ago attended her first international conference in person in Turkey, 13–15 May 2026.
After her paper was accepted for presentation, Najwa began planning a journey from Groningen, the Netherlands, where she is on an exchange programme. The journey began in the early hours from Groningen.
Najwa first took a FlixBus to Bremen, Germany, before continuing by air to Istanbul, Turkey. In the chill of Groningen’s early morning, still accompanied by drizzle, she rode her bicycle from her residence to the area of the station and bus terminal to begin the long journey.
En route to the bus stop, the first unforeseen event occurred: Najwa realised one of her bags was left behind. Fortunately there was someone willing to help deliver the bag just in time.
A small incident that could have derailed the entire trip, but was resolved with calm and timely assistance.
After returning from Turkey, Najwa undertook the return journey via Istanbul to Amsterdam, then travelled by train to Groningen.
After the long cross-country journey, Najwa arrived back at the Groningen station area where the bicycle she used had been left a few days earlier. But after a long search, the bicycle was missing.
Having no bicycle, with a rucksack on her back, a bag in hand, and Groningen’s freezing pre-dawn air biting, there was no choice but to walk back to her lodging. About forty minutes’ walk to her home had to be covered with tired steps after her activities in Turkey.
Three o’clock in the Groningen time, or around eight o’clock in the morning WIB, she already had a scheduled online meeting with Indonesian researchers.
Thus there was no room for panic, no time to dwell on losing the bike. All that remained were step by step along Groningen’s quiet streets, to the desk and screen that had to stay on at the appointed time.
In both the field assessment of accreditation and in a student’s journey to her first in-person international conference, there is a common thread: unforeseen events are part of the journey, not its exception.
The test is not whether we can avoid them, but whether we are resilient enough to face them with our heads held high. Najwa arrived home, switched on her laptop, and the online meeting proceeded on time.
The bike may be lost, but the commitment is not. Accreditation may bring surprises, but a calm and measured response will always reflect the true quality.
Allah SWT says: “And surely We shall test you with a little fear and hunger, and loss of wealth, lives and fruits; and give good tidings to the steadfast, who, when adversity strikes them, say: Indeed to Allah we belong and indeed to Him we shall return.” (QS. Al-Baqarah: 155–156).
Patience does not mean silence and surrender, but continue to move forward, remain committed, and give the best, even when unforeseen events stand in the way. Wallāhu a’lam.