Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) officially opened the UNNES Summer Camp 2026 on Thursday, June 4. Carrying the theme “Youth Collaboration for Sustainable Development,” the program brings together students from various countries to learn about culture, community life, and sustainable development.
The opening ceremony was held in the courtyard of the UNNES Rectorate Building and was attended by UNNES Vice Rector IV for Cooperation, Business, and International Relations Prof. Dr. Nur Qudus, M.T., IPM.; University Secretary Prof. Dr. Sugianto, M.Si.; Head of the International Office and SDGs Center UNNES Alfath Yanuarto; and all program participants.
UNNES Summer Camp 2026 is being held from June 4 to 6, 2026, and is attended by international students from Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), Universitas Negeri Jakarta (UNJ), and Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY). The program is supported by the Equity Program funded by the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education Agency (LPDP).
In his report, Alfath Yanuarto, said the program was designed as a cross-cultural learning platform that provides participants with direct experience through interaction with local communities.
“Through this program, participants will not only learn about Indonesian culture but also gain insights from community life and various sustainable development practices at the local level. We hope this experience will become valuable knowledge for all participants,” he said.
A total of 40 participants from various countries joined the UNNES Summer Camp 2026. They came from Indonesia, Germany, France, India, Tajikistan, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Kazakhstan, Tanzania, Pakistan, Thailand, Madagascar, Myanmar, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, and Timor-Leste.
During the three-day program, participants will take part in various activities in Cokro Tourism Village, Klaten, which is one of UNNES’ partner villages. They will explore local wisdom through pottery-making, learning about traditional herbal medicine, watching gamelan performances, interacting with local residents, and joining a river-trekking activity.
In his remarks, Prof. Dr. Nur Qudus, M.T., IPM., said that UNNES Summer Camp is one of the university’s efforts to strengthen international networks while introducing Indonesian cultural values to students from different countries.
“The diversity of participants present is a valuable opportunity to learn from and understand one another. We hope the experience in Cokro Village will provide new perspectives on culture, society, and the importance of global cooperation in supporting sustainable development,” he stated.
As part of the opening ceremony, lanyards were presented to participant representatives from India, Zambia, and Germany. The presentation symbolized the official welcoming of participants as part of the UNNES family throughout the program.
This activity is also aligned with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
Through UNNES Summer Camp 2026, UNNES hopes to foster closer friendships among participants from various countries while opening opportunities for collaboration that can benefit communities and support the achievement of sustainable development goals.
