Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) has once again achieved a remarkable accomplishment at the national level. Students from the Sociology and Anthropology Education Program, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, secured First Place at the prestigious Karni Ilyas Award 2026 – Indonesian Student Visual Journalism Competition, organized by tvOne on Saturday, February 14, 2026.
Competing under the team name Kendeng Lestari, the UNNES delegation consisted of Muhammad Saputra Agung Pratama, Nadia, Lingga Yudistira Raka Persada, and Natsuwa Cindi Aulia. The team was mentored intensively by Harto Wicaksono, S.Pd., M.A. Their winning work, titled “Etnopedagogi Ibu Bumi: The Voice of Sedulur Sikep,” captivated the judges with its compelling visual storytelling and thoughtful narrative approach.
The project highlights the local wisdom of the Sedulur Sikep community in preserving harmony between humans and nature through an ethnopedagogical perspective. By combining strong visual elements with reflective narration, the team successfully portrayed culture-based education as a meaningful response to contemporary sustainability challenges.
The award ceremony was attended by prominent national figures, including Meutya Hafid, Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia; Rhenald Kasali, Professor at the Faculty of Economics, Universitas Indonesia and Founder of Rumah Perubahan; and Karni Ilyas, the initiator of the award.
This achievement demonstrates the strong capacity of UNNES students in the field of visual journalism while reaffirming the university’s academic contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The work aligns with SDG 4 (Quality Education) by promoting education rooted in local wisdom, and SDG 15 (Life on Land) through its message of environmental conservation and sustainability.
Harto Wicaksono, as the team’s academic supervisor, expressed his appreciation for the students’ dedication and hard work in transforming cultural and environmental issues into an inspiring and impactful journalistic piece. He hopes that this accomplishment will encourage more students to continue producing meaningful works that advocate for sustainability and social awareness.
