The Master’s Program in English Language Education, Faculty of Languages and Arts (FBS), Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), successfully organized the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and Research Gallery Walk on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at the Round Hall of the FBS Dean’s Office. The event reflects the program’s ongoing commitment to enhancing students’ research competence while fostering a collaborative academic culture that supports the timely completion of high-quality master’s theses.
The one-day academic event brought together 65 participants, including graduate students and faculty members of the Master’s Program in English Language Education. Three distinguished scholars were invited as panelists: Dr. Didit Kurniadi, M.Hum. from Universitas AKI, Dr. Yusi Rahmawati, M.Pd. from Politeknik Bumi Akpelni, and Intan Permata Hapsari, M.Pd., Ph.D. from Universitas Negeri Semarang. Throughout the event, the panelists provided constructive feedback and scholarly recommendations on students’ ongoing research projects, encouraging them to refine their research design, methodology, data analysis, and interpretation.
The event was officially opened by the Vice Dean for Business, Research, and Partnerships of the Faculty of Languages and Arts, Muhammad Yusul Ahmadd Hasyim, Lc., M.A., Ph.D. In his opening remarks, he expressed his appreciation for the initiative undertaken by the Master’s Program in creating an academic platform where students can present their research progress, receive expert feedback, and engage in meaningful scholarly discussions. He emphasized that activities of this kind play an essential role in improving research quality, strengthening graduate competencies, and contributing to the university’s research excellence.
According to Dr. Sri Wahyuni, M.Pd., Coordinator of the Master’s Program in English Language Education, the Focus Group Discussion and Research Gallery Walk serves as an integral component of the Thesis Proposal Writing course, whose primary learning outcome is the development of a master’s thesis proposal. The event provides students with valuable opportunities to showcase their research progress while receiving comprehensive feedback from experts and peers on various aspects of academic research, including research design, data collection techniques, methodological rigor, and research reporting.
The program began with the Research Gallery Walk, during which students presented research posters illustrating their research topics, methodologies, and preliminary findings. This interactive exhibition encouraged participants to exchange ideas, discuss methodological challenges, and explore innovative perspectives in English language education research. Beyond presenting their work, students actively engaged in academic conversations with lecturers, reviewers, and fellow researchers, creating an atmosphere of collaborative learning.
Following the poster exhibition, students delivered presentations of their research data in three parallel sessions. Each session was facilitated by one of the invited panelists, who offered in-depth reviews of the students’ methodological approaches, data quality, analytical procedures, and interpretation of findings. The parallel presentation sessions enabled participants to obtain personalized academic feedback that will support the next stages of their thesis research.
In the afternoon, all participants gathered for the Focus Group Discussion, where the invited scholars explored current issues and emerging trends in English language education research. The discussion covered qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research approaches while addressing common challenges encountered by graduate students during their thesis journey. The interactive question-and-answer session reflected the participants’ enthusiasm for expanding their methodological knowledge and improving the quality of their academic work.
Beyond strengthening students’ research competencies, the event also reinforced the research culture within the Master’s Program in English Language Education. The program expects that initiatives such as this will contribute to producing high-quality academic outputs, including thesis proposals, scholarly publications, and innovative research products with the potential for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). Moreover, the event fostered stronger academic networking among students, faculty members, and invited experts, creating opportunities for future research collaboration.
The Focus Group Discussion and Research Gallery Walk also demonstrates the Master’s Program’s commitment to implementing Outcome-Based Education (OBE) while supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Through this initiative, students are encouraged not only to conduct rigorous and innovative research but also to generate meaningful academic contributions that advance English language education and respond to the evolving needs of society.
