Free jogging spaces, bookable sports facilities, and venues for school and community activities extend the benefits of university infrastructure beyond campus.
SEMARANG, Indonesia — Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) shares its sports facilities with local residents, nearby schools, and the general public through a combination of free access, booking arrangements, and rental services. The university’s public-access arrangements provide opportunities for recreational exercise, physical education, community training, and organised competitions.
Jogging tracks at the Rectorate Field and Prof. Dirham Field provide free opportunities for walking and running. This provision gives residents opportunities to walk, run, and exercise without paying an admission fee, subject to the facilities’ operating arrangements.
The tracks also serve as shared recreational spaces. UNNES reports that lecturers, students, and residents use the Rectorate Field in the afternoons, while families visit Prof. Dirham Field on weekends for exercise and recreation. Public use allows the surrounding community to benefit directly from university sports infrastructure.
For activities requiring reserved venues, UNNES provides additional facilities through booking and rental arrangements. Tennis courts, futsal facilities, and archery areas can be booked with maintenance contributions. The swimming pool and athletics stadium are available for organised training, tournaments, and larger events under the relevant service requirements.
Local schools are among the users of university sports infrastructure. UNNES reports that schools around Gunungpati use its facilities for physical education, student-athlete training, and interschool competitions. This provides a direct link between university facilities and educational opportunities for children and young people in the surrounding community.
The university’s wider sports infrastructure accommodates activities ranging from swimming and football to badminton, volleyball, basketball, tennis, gymnastics, and golf. Prof. Dirham Field includes a running track, jumping and throwing areas, and a synthetic football pitch. Specialised facilities also include the Prof. Soegijono Sports Laboratory for fitness and gymnastics and the Prof. Dumadi Sports Laboratory for activities such as hockey, softball, woodball, football, and outdoor archery. Use of individual facilities follows the relevant service and booking requirements.
The university’s 2025 Work and Budget Plan (RKAT) formally documents sports laboratory services for communities around UNNES. The listed facilities include the swimming pool, synthetic athletics track, mini golf, football, outdoor and indoor tennis, futsal, volleyball, basketball, hockey, softball, and badminton. The document specifies that these services follow applicable tariffs, providing institutional evidence that access for external users forms part of the university’s planned services.
UNNES supported its sports services with infrastructure improvements during 2025. On 8 September 2025, the university commemorated National Sports Day with group exercise involving lecturers, education staff, and students. The occasion also marked the inauguration of renovated sports courts to support teaching, training, and sporting development.
The university also accommodated organised sport involving participants from other institutions. During the 19th National Student Sports Week (POMNAS XIX), held from 19 to 28 September 2025, UNNES hosted archery, tennis, woodball, wushu, and pickleball. Its venues supported competitions bringing together athletes, coaches, and organisers from across the participating universities.
By combining free recreational access with bookable facilities and services for schools and external organisations, UNNES makes its sports infrastructure available to people beyond the university community. These arrangements support everyday exercise, school learning, and organised sporting participation while connecting campus facilities with the needs of surrounding communities.
