Two students from the Information and Public Relations Program, Naufal Rifat Kurniawan and Annisa Nur Az Zahrah, successfully won 2nd Place in the National Essay Competition – Vokasi Juara 2024, organized by the Vocational School of Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP).
Vokasi Juara 2024 carried the theme “Youth Contribution to Achieving SDGs 2030.” The competition, which included essay and poster categories, sought innovative ideas from students to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through various sub-themes: economics, politics, science and technology, and social and cultural issues.
The competition consisted of several stages, starting with essay submission from October 14-31, 2024, the announcement of semifinalists on November 3, 2024, online semifinal presentations for six finalist teams on November 5, 2024, the announcement of finalists on November 6, 2024, and a final presentation held on November 9, 2024, at the Vocational School of UNDIP.
Rifat and Annisa were the only finalists to focus on the social and cultural sub-theme. Their essay, titled “Pesona Wayang Wong: Optimalisasi Promosi Kesenian Wayang Orang Berbasis Digital dan Komunitas” (“The Charm of Wayang Wong: Optimizing the Promotion of Wayang Wong Art Through Digital and Community-Based Campaigns”), highlighted the traditional arts community in Semarang.
Their innovative campaign was designed to revitalize the presence of Wayang Wong, a traditional Javanese dance-drama.
“We see Wayang Wong as a legendary art form. In Semarang, we have Wayang Wong Ngesti Pandowo, but sadly, many young people think this art form is outdated,” Rifat explained.
Aligned with the competition’s theme, their innovation, Pesona Wayang Wong, also contributes to achieving the SDGs, specifically Goal 4.7 (Education for Sustainable Development) and Goal 11.4 (Protecting the World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage).
Source: Official Website of the D4 Information and Public Relations Program, Vocational School, Universitas Diponegoro.
