Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) participated in the 2026 SDGs Center Conference (SCC) organized by the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas in collaboration with the Indonesia SDGs Center Network (ISCN) at the Bappenas Office in Jakarta on Thursday (25/6). UNNES was represented by Alfath Yanuarto, Head of the International Office and SDGs Center of UNNES.
Carrying the theme “Strengthening the Role of SDGs Centers: Encouraging Local Action for National SDGs Achievement and Global Partnerships,” the conference served as a strategic forum for higher education institutions, government bodies, the private sector, development partners, and civil society organizations to strengthen collective contributions toward accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The conference was held in a hybrid format and attended by more than 200 offline participants and 500 online participants from various regions across Indonesia. UNNES’ participation in this forum reflects the university’s commitment as a conservation-minded and internationally reputable institution in supporting the sustainable development agenda at the local, national, and global levels.
In his remarks, Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas Rachmat Pambudy highlighted that global SDGs achievement continues to face significant challenges. Referring to The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025, only 18 percent of global SDGs targets have been achieved or are on track. Meanwhile, in the Asia-Pacific region, significant acceleration is needed to prevent SDGs achievement from being delayed by up to 32 years.
Amid these global challenges, Indonesia has shown more encouraging progress. A total of 62.7 percent of the 224 national SDGs indicators have either achieved their targets or shown significant progress. Minister Rachmat emphasized that Indonesia’s SDGs achievement will become an important milestone in the country’s efforts to escape the middle-income trap and realize the vision of Golden Indonesia 2045.
Minister Rachmat also underlined the vital role of higher education institutions as catalysts for SDGs achievement. Universities are considered to have strategic characteristics as centers of knowledge, incubators of innovation, fast learners, and institutions with a high level of public trust. Currently, 100 SDGs Centers have been established in 26 provinces, while 71 Indonesian universities have been included in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Ranking.
Through this forum, the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas encouraged SDGs Centers at universities to play a more active role through three national strategic platforms: SDG Academy Indonesia (SDGAI) as a capacity-building platform, the SDGs Entrepreneurial Center (SEC) as a platform for SDGs-based entrepreneurship, and the SDGs Action Register and SDGs Action Certificate as instruments for recording and measuring institutional contributions in a transparent and accountable manner.
The 2026 SCC also featured a High-Level Panel Discussion on academic leadership as a center of excellence in accelerating the SDGs. In addition, the Academic Dialogue titled “Shaping Perspectives on the Beyond-2030 Sustainable Development Agenda” served as an important forum to discuss the direction of the global development agenda beyond 2030.
Deputy for Human, Community, and Cultural Development at the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas and Head of the National SDGs Secretariat, Pungkas Bahjuri Ali, emphasized that the remaining time toward 2030 must be utilized optimally to accelerate the achievement of SDGs targets. He stated that synergy among all stakeholders, particularly higher education institutions through SDGs Centers, is key to delivering development solutions based on knowledge and innovation.
Head of the International Office and SDGs Center of UNNES, Alfath Yanuarto, stated that UNNES’ participation in SCC 2026 serves as an important momentum to strengthen the role of the UNNES SDGs Center as a hub for collaboration, innovation, and sustainable action.
“UNNES is committed to continuously strengthening its contribution to SDGs achievement through education, research, community service, innovation, and strategic partnerships. This forum provides an important platform for UNNES to expand collaboration and ensure that sustainability actions carried out on campus create real impact for society,” he said.
Through its participation in the 2026 SDGs Center Conference, UNNES reaffirmed its readiness to strengthen its role as an impactful university, support national SDGs achievement, and contribute to the sustainable development agenda toward Golden Indonesia 2045.
