SEMARANG – The Early Childhood Education Teacher Education Study Program (PGPAUD) of the Faculty of Education and Psychology (FIPP) of Semarang State University (UNNES) officially held the international conference The 8th Semarang Early Childhood Research and Education Talks (SECRET 2026) at the Horison Ultima Hotel Semarang, Tuesday (20/10/2026).
This annual forum, supported by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen), brings together academics, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers across countries to formulate the future of early childhood education that is adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable.
Carrying the main theme “Reimagining the Future of Early Childhood Education: Integrating STEM, Sustainability, Quality, and Inclusive Innovation”, this conference serves as a strategic platform in responding to the global challenges of early childhood education (PAUD).
The event was officially opened by the Dean of FIPP UNNES, Prof. Dr. Edy Purwanto, M.Si., as the Welcoming Speaker. The conference also featured the Director of PAUD & PNF Teachers, Director General of GTK, Ministry of Education and Culture, Dr. Saiful Bari, S.Kom., M.Eng., as the Keynote Speaker.
In order to provide a comprehensive global perspective, this conference presented a series of experts from various countries, including Indonesia, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, and the United States. The speakers were Prof. Dr. M Furqon Hidayatullah, M.Pd. from Sebelas Maret University (Indonesia), Prof. Jemerson N. Dominguez, Ph.D. as Special Needs Education Consultant Centris Dubai & Trainer SRK Higher Education Abu Dhabi (UAE), Alexey Metelev, B.Sc, M.Ed. as Head of School SIS Semarang, Iman Andrea Reiman from Regenbogen Kidz Kita Haus (Germany), and Ms. Lily Lufuluabo as Reception Lead Teacher Semarang Multinational School.
In its implementation, this international conference focused discussions on five strategic sub-themes, namely STEM and Digital Innovation, Sustainability and Climate Education, Quality and Teacher Professional Development, Inclusivity and Equitable Learning, and Child Well-being and Future Resilience.
The Chair of the Organizing Committee, Neneng Tasuah, M.Pd., stated that the enthusiasm of both national and international participants was very high throughout the event.
“Through the 8th SECRET event, we hope to generate fresh ideas and research collaborations between countries to improve the quality and equal access to early childhood education,” he said.
In addition to presenting material from selected manuscripts (presenters), researchers who present scientific articles at this conference will have the opportunity to publish in SINTA 2, 3, and 4 accredited journals, DOAJ indexed journals, and international conference proceedings.
The series of activities, which took place from 8:00 to 17:00 WIB, concluded with an interactive discussion session and the formulation of recommendations for the development of future PAUD curriculum and practices.
