The Faculty of Languages and Arts (FBS) at Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) organized the National Language and Arts Week 2026, bringing together approximately 1,400 participants from universities across Indonesia. Featuring 16 competition categories, the event provided a national platform for university students to demonstrate their talents, celebrate cultural diversity, and pursue excellence in languages, literature, arts, and creative expression.
Preliminary participation records identified 51 university and campus-location entries representing institutions across Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, West Java, Jakarta, Banten, the Riau Islands, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali, and the Nusa Tenggara region.
Among the participating institutions listed were Universitas Diponegoro, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Universitas Negeri Malang, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Universitas Andalas, Universitas Negeri Padang, Universitas Hasanuddin, Universitas Negeri Makassar, Universitas Mulawarman, Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha, Universitas Mataram, and Universitas Negeri Medan.
The broad geographical reach highlighted the event’s role not only as a national competition but also as a meeting point for young talents from diverse academic, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds.
Celebrating Multilingualism, Literature, Performing Arts, and Digital Creativity
National Language and Arts Week 2026 offered a wide range of competitions designed to accommodate students’ interests and abilities in literary creation, multilingual communication, performing arts, and digital innovation.
The competition categories documented in the preliminary results included Indonesian Poetry Writing, Personal Branding Content, Poster Design, Creative Illustration, Popular Essay Writing on Indonesian Language and Literature, Macapat (Traditional Javanese Sung Poetry), Local Tourism Destination Presentations in French, Modern Mandarin Poetry, Interactive Arabic Language Learning Media, Solo Vocal, Speech Contest, Creative Dance, French-Language Reporting, Geguritan (Javanese Poetry), English Flash Fiction and Japanese-Language Reporting.
The diverse categories reflected FBS UNNES’s commitment to promoting language and arts as essential avenues for developing literacy, communication, creativity, cultural appreciation, and innovation.
Traditional literary competitions such as Macapat and Geguritan encouraged younger generations to engage with Javanese literary heritage, while competitions involving French, Mandarin, Arabic, and English provided opportunities to strengthen multilingual competencies in an increasingly interconnected world.
Meanwhile, Poster Design, Creative Illustration, Personal Branding Content, and Interactive Arabic Language Learning Media encouraged students to combine artistic expression with digital communication and educational technology.
Performing arts competitions, including Solo Vocal and Creative Dance, also offered opportunities for participants to demonstrate artistic interpretation, performance skills, and cultural expression.
Students from Universities Nationwide Earn Recognition
According to the preliminary jury results, students from several universities earned awards across different competition categories.
In Indonesian Poetry Writing, Adhisti Kurnia Yulianti from UNNES secured first place, followed by Gracia Natalia Maketake in second place and Naurah Nadzifah Ramadhani in third place.
In the Personal Branding Content competition, Bhre Audrian Saputra from UNNES won first place, while Rummana Aisha Chavik and Farrel Nawfal Fathir Aryasetya finished second and third, respectively.
The Poster Design competition saw Taqyuddin Al Abbas from UNNES take first place, followed by Dimas Rizki Maulana from Poltekkes Kemenkes Bandung in second place and Shabrina Aqila Al-zahra from UNNES in third place.
In Creative Illustration, Yehezkiel Tangguh Seno Saputro from UNNES claimed first place, while Deevano Akbar from Universitas Sebelas Maret earned third place.
The Popular Essay Writing competition was won by a UNNES team led by Lolita Chelsea. Teams from Universitas PGRI Palembang and Universitas Negeri Gorontalo secured second and third places, respectively.
In Macapat, Ajeng Rahmadanniyanti from UNNES earned first place, Daniel Dwi Saputra from UNNES finished second, and Bayu Dwi Setiawan from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta placed third.
In the Modern Mandarin Poetry competition, Aziza Nur Adriani from UNNES won first place, followed by Eple from Universitas PGRI Semarang in second place and Zalfa Ardhani Wahyudin from UNNES in third place.
In the performing arts categories, Bertha Sihombing from UNNES won first place in Solo Vocal, while Atiyya Artika Izza from UNNES claimed the top award in the Speech Contest.
The Creative Dance competition saw a UNNES team secure first place, followed by teams from Institut Seni Indonesia Padangpanjang and Universitas Negeri Medan in second and third places, respectively.
Daniel Dwi Saputra from UNNES was also named the first-place winner in the Geguritan competition.
In the Japanese-Language Reporting competition, Mohamad Ragil Saputra secured first place, followed by Muhammad Putra Bani in second place and Achmad Munir Abdul Syukur in third place. The competition further enriched the event’s multilingual offerings, providing students with an opportunity to demonstrate their Japanese language proficiency through reporting activities.
These achievements reflected the breadth of student talent represented at the event and the opportunities provided for participants to demonstrate their abilities across linguistic, literary, artistic, and creative disciplines.
FBS UNNES Promotes Student Excellence and Character Development
Dr. Eko Raharjo, M.Hum., Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs at FBS UNNES, emphasized the importance of language and arts competitions in supporting students’ holistic development.
He highlighted the value of such activities as opportunities for students to develop creativity, discipline, communication skills, and confidence while gaining a deeper appreciation of cultural diversity.
Beyond recognizing achievement, the competition was designed to provide meaningful learning experiences that complement formal academic education and strengthen students’ personal and professional competencies.
The initiative also reflected FBS UNNES’s commitment to creating an academic environment that supports both academic and extracurricular excellence.
Meanwhile, Rimasari Pramesti Putri, S.Pd., M.Pd., Chair of the Organizing Committee for National Language and Arts Week 2026, highlighted the extensive geographical reach of the competition as an important aspect of this year’s event.
She noted that the participation of approximately 1,400 students from various regions of Indonesia demonstrated strong interest in opportunities to showcase creativity and achievement in languages and the arts.
The wide selection of competition categories was also intended to provide inclusive opportunities for students with different interests and expertise, ranging from literature and foreign languages to performing arts and digital creativity.
Through the event, the organizing committee hopes to further establish National Language and Arts Week as a recurring platform for student achievement, creative exchange, and stronger connections among universities throughout Indonesia.
Advancing Quality Education, Cultural Preservation, and Academic Partnerships
National Language and Arts Week 2026 also supported FBS UNNES’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
Its contribution to SDG 4 was reflected in opportunities for students to develop competencies beyond the classroom, including creativity, literacy, communication, critical thinking, and artistic skills.
The event also supported SDG 11 by encouraging appreciation and preservation of cultural heritage through competitions featuring Macapat, Geguritan, Creative Dance, and presentations on local tourism destinations. These activities helped promote awareness of the importance of safeguarding cultural traditions and local identities among younger generations.
Meanwhile, the participation of students from universities across Indonesia reflected the spirit of SDG 17 by strengthening academic networks, encouraging knowledge exchange, and creating opportunities for future interuniversity collaboration.
Through National Language and Arts Week 2026, FBS UNNES reaffirmed its commitment to fostering student creativity and achievement while promoting cultural preservation, educational innovation, and academic engagement at the national level.
The event is expected to continue developing as a national platform that inspires talented, competitive, and globally minded young people who remain connected to Indonesia’s rich linguistic, literary, artistic, and cultural heritage.
