UNDIP, Semarang (14/8) – The spirit of Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day was celebrated at Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) through ‘Clash of Patriots 2026 Pitulasan’, a singing competition that brought together UNDIP international students in a creative, inclusive, and culturally diverse Independence Day celebration. The event was organized by the International Office of Universitas Diponegoro (KUI UNDIP) on Friday, August 14, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. Western Indonesia Time (WIB) at Taman Wiyata Hangreksa Gapuraning Nagara, Widya Puraya Building, UNDIP.
UNDIP Rector, Prof. Dr. Suharnomo, S.E., M.Si., officially opened the event by singing ‘Jangan Paksa Rindu’ and ‘Ikan dalam Kolam.’ Loud applause echoed throughout Widya Puraya UNDIP, adding to the excitement of the contestants as they prepared to perform Indonesian songs in pop, koplo, and dangdut genres.
Prof. Suharnomo welcomed all UNDIP international students and said, “We are very proud of our international students who have enthusiastically learned and memorized songs in Indonesian. We look forward to your exciting performances—show your confidence in singing Indonesian songs.”
The ‘Clash of Patriots 2026 Pitulasan’ singing competition featured active international students from UNDIP, with six solo and group contestants from Yemen, India, Pakistan, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania. The competition was judged by Prof. Ir. Tri Winarni Agustini, M.Sc., Ph.D., Chair of the UNDIP Academic Senate, and Prof. Dr. Ir. Hadiyanto, S.T., M.Sc., IPU, Director of Reputation, Partnership, and Global Connectivity.
‘Clash of Patriots 2026 Pitulasan’ served as a space for cross-cultural interaction while highlighting the meaning of August 17 Independence Day through the values of unity, cooperation, and diversity. With great enthusiasm, international students performed Indonesian songs while wearing traditional attire from their respective countries.
Rajeev Kumar, an UNDIP Master’s student in Linguistics from India, said that the Independence Day celebration was both interesting and welcoming to international students. “I really like dangdut songs because the melodies are similar to Bollywood songs, and today I sang ‘Kopi Dangdut.’ I also performed a duet called ‘Aku Sayang’ with my friend, Zaima Khan from Pakistan. It was so much fun!” he said.
The event reached its highlight with a performance by guest star Lalaina Tienh Andriamampionona, a graduate of the Doctoral Program in Political Science at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) UNDIP, who has achieved recognition as a singer. She performed ‘Ditinggal Rabi’ and ‘Cendol Dawet,’ followed by a duet with UNDIP Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, Cooperation, and Public Communication, Wijayanto, S.IP., M.Si., Ph.D., performing ‘Jangan Menyerah.’
Lalaina expressed her happiness at being able to share the celebration with UNDIP’s international students. “Keep up your enthusiasm, everyone, as you study here because it is so much fun. It reminded me of my journey from when I first came to Indonesia to where I am today,” she said emotionally.
The winners of the ‘Clash of Patriots 2026 Pitulasan’ competition will be announced during the 81st Anniversary of Indonesia’s Independence Day Commemoration Ceremony at UNDIP on Monday (August 17), as an appreciation for the creativity and collaboration demonstrated by the participants. From a noble and valuable UNDIP, the spirit of Indonesian unity continues to be introduced and shared with the world. (Public Communication/UNDIP/Titis)