KENDAL – The Faculty of Education and Psychology (FIPP) of Semarang State University (UNNES) has begun recruiting prospective students to fill international class seats. On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, the FIPP UNNES team visited SMK N 1 Kendal and SMK NU 01 Kendal to promote the International Undergraduate Program (IUP) for the Guidance, Counseling, and Psychology study programs.
The FIPP UNNES team consisted of the Vice Dean I for Academic and Student Affairs of FIPP UNNES, Farid Ahmadi, S.Kom., M.Kom., Ph.D., Head of the Undergraduate Counseling Study Program, Zaki Nurul Amin, M.Pd., Psychology Lecturer, Faiz Fatihul Alwan, M.Pd., and two student representatives.
The IUP socialization program is an outreach strategy for vocational high school students who often feel “trapped” between work and study. To hundreds of 12th grade students, FIPP UNNES offered a prestigious pathway with a lower level of competition than the regular pathway.
Bilingual, Not a Burden
Vice Dean I for Academic and Student Affairs at FIPP UNNES, Farid Ahmadi, S.Kom., M.Kom., Ph.D., emphasized that international classes within his faculty are not as intimidating as imagined. The IUP program uses a bilingual system (mixed languages of instruction), so students are not required to be fluent in English from day one.
“The lecturers are a collaboration between local experts and native speakers from abroad. Communication in class remains flexible, so students don’t need to worry about perfect English skills from the start,” said Farid.
Although assignments and theses will be written in English, intensive mentoring will be provided.
Farid also explained the strategic advantage of this pathway, namely its low competition ratio. Unlike the SNBP or SNBT pathways, which are participated by millions of people, the Independent IUP Selection (Seleksi Mandiri IUP) has a separate selection process that will open in June-July 2026.
“For students who were not successful in the SNBT announcement on May 25th, don’t be discouraged. The Independent IUP pathway is a great opportunity because the competition is not as intense as the regular pathway,” he added.
Fighting Economic Myths
The UNNES team’s presence was enthusiastically welcomed by the school. The principal of SMK N 1 Kendal, Agus Ma’sum, S.Ag., M.Si., used this opportunity to inspire his students to not stop at a high school diploma. He shared his personal story of being pessimistic about going to school due to economic pressures.
“Before, even living at the high school level was financially impossible for me. But with strong determination, I was able to study while working until I graduated,” Agus told the students.
According to him, vocational schools have three pillars: working, continuing their studies, or entrepreneurship. However, he emphasized that improving competencies through college is an investment for the future.
Nur Fadhul Ma’arif, Deputy Principal of SMK NU 01 Kendal, echoed this sentiment. He urged his students to be “greedy” in seizing opportunities presented to them.
“Take every opportunity available, whether it’s job openings or college scholarships. We never know which door our fortune will open,” said Arif.
He hopes that information about UNNES’s international classes will be useful to students who are passionate about continuing their studies but still want to establish a global profile.
Currently, the IUP program at FIPP UNNES is not a new study program, but rather a special class within an existing study program. Registration is through the UNNES Independent Pathway portal, following the applicable schedule and requirements.
