Semarang, September 29, 2025 – Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP), through its Vocational School, hosted the Sawit Academy Episode in UNDIP, a series of educational and health action programs organized in collaboration with the Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (Badan Pengelola Dana Perkebunan Kelapa Sawit / BPDPKS) and Hai Sawit Indonesia. The event was lively and well-attended by hundreds of students, speakers, and university leaders.
The series began with Aksi Sehat Bersama Sawit (Healthy Action with Palm Oil), which included a fun run and walk, followed by an MSME Palm Oil Workshop featuring a hands-on demonstration of making palm oil-based sunscreen. This theme was chosen to highlight the importance of palm oil downstreaming at the MSME level—emphasizing that palm oil should not stop at being a raw commodity but should also generate derivative products that directly benefit society.
The event was officially opened by UNDIP Rector, Prof. Dr. Suharnomo, S.E., M.Si., represented by Prof. Budiyono, Dean of the Vocational School, following a welcome address by M. Danang MRQ, Director of Hai Sawit Indonesia.
In his remarks, Prof. Dr. Ir. Budiyono, M.Si., Dean of the UNDIP Vocational School, underscored the importance of downstreaming palm oil. “Palm oil is not only a source of foreign exchange but also of energy, food, cosmetics, and health products. The challenge lies in transforming raw materials into innovative and eco-friendly products. Today, students learned firsthand how to make palm oil-based sunscreen—an example of downstream innovation at the MSME level. This activity is a momentum for the younger generation not to remain spectators but to become agents of change.”
He also expressed appreciation to BPDPKS for its full scholarship support for 60 UNDIP Vocational School students each year from the Bachelor of Applied Technology in Mechanical Design Engineering and Industrial Chemical Engineering study programs. This initiative is a concrete example of BPDPKS’s contribution to preparing excellent human resources in the palm oil sector.
In addition to the workshop, the event featured a talk show with speakers from industry, academia, and practitioners, including:
- Gema Aliza Putra, Director of PT Daya Guna Lestari, discussed career opportunities in the palm oil industry.
- Romi Sujaka, an Outstanding Youth and participant of the 2023 National Palm Oil Research, shared his experience developing palm oil-based sunscreen at the MSME scale.
- dr. Renni Yuniati, SpDVE, MH, Lecturer at UNDIP’s Faculty of Medicine, discussing health standards and regulations for palm oil-based sunscreen.
Through this program, Universitas Diponegoro reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the downstreaming of palm oil research and development outcomes. In line with its tagline “Noble and Valuable UNDIP,” these innovations are expected to provide added value for industries and MSMEs while preparing a creative, globally competitive young generation.
The event concluded with awards for the speakers, door prizes for participants, and a group photo session capturing the spirit of collaboration among the entire academic community.
