UNDIP, Semarang (10/8) – After spending four days in Alor accompanying the Minister of Agriculture’s delegation, Adriano Jeconia Padama, a student in the Undergraduate International Relations Study Program, returned to UNDIP yesterday afternoon accompanied by the Central Java Regional Leadership of Bulog, Sri Muniati, and her delegation. They were welcomed by UNDIP Rector Prof. Dr. Suharnomo, S.E., M.Si., and the university leadership at the Rector’s Meeting Room, Widya Puraya Building.
On the occasion, Adriano, affectionately known as Dede, immediately shared his experience in Alor accompanying the Minister of Agriculture and traveling around the island.
“Yesterday, after I went to Alor with the Minister, the government immediately distributed three months’ worth of food assistance in Alor, while also holding a simultaneous Cheap Food Movement (Gerakan Pangan Murah / GPM) to curb and control rising rice prices. In addition, the two Bulog warehouses in Alor are now fully stocked with rice supplies to ensure food availability for the local community,” Dede said.
Dede added that the government’s response was not limited to short-term measures concerning rice supplies, but also extended to the long-term development of the agricultural sector.
“After conducting direct inspections, including visits to remote villages, the government will also provide various agricultural production facilities and infrastructure, ranging from two- and four-wheel tractors and 20 water pumps to plans for constructing bore wells to address irrigation challenges,” he said.
According to Dede, the government is also providing high-quality seeds, including rice and coconut, while focusing on developing cocoa seedlings to encourage local farmers to increase their independent production and help sustainably alleviate poverty in Alor. The initiative also serves as an opportunity for Bulog to evaluate and increase its attention to 3T regions—underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost areas.
UNDIP Rector Prof. Dr. Suharnomo, S.E., M.Si., expressed his pride in having a student who, despite only recently beginning his university journey, has demonstrated concern for people in his hometown and dared to bring their concerns directly to policymakers, ultimately contributing to positive changes for the community. Dede’s actions also embody UNDIP’s values of ‘Noble and Valuable’—for his region. For this reason, UNDIP has committed to providing him with a double-degree scholarship, which Adriano can pursue after completing his undergraduate studies.
“As a form of appreciation, UNDIP is providing Adriano with a scholarship to pursue a double degree in the Master of Public Administration program and the MA in Politics, Governance & Public Policy at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom after he completes his undergraduate International Relations program,” the UNDIP Rector said.
The Rector added that through the double-degree master’s program, Adriano will spend one year studying at UNDIP and one year in the United Kingdom.
According to the Rector, young people must have the courage to express their opinions respectfully and responsibly, and to do so based on real conditions. This is especially important when such courage is driven not by personal interests, but by a desire to help the wider community.
As previously reported, Adriano Jeconia Padama, or Dede, a new student in the Undergraduate International Relations Study Program at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP), went viral in the mass media and on social media after voicing concerns about the high price of rice experienced by people in his hometown of Alor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. He conveyed his concerns directly to Indonesian Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman during the Public Lecture for the Admission of New UNDIP Students for the 2026/2027 Academic Year on Thursday (August 6, 2026).
Dede’s story demonstrates that being a university student is not only about learning in lecture halls. Students are also expected to be sensitive to the issues around them, capable of understanding real-world conditions, and courageous enough to put forward ideas that can help bring about solutions.
Dede’s journey from Alor to UNDIP, speaking up before the Minister of Agriculture, returning to his hometown, and then coming back to campus carries an important message for the Dipo Muda: higher education is not only about developing intelligence, but also about having the courage to use knowledge and one’s voice to make a meaningful contribution. This spirit is in line with UNDIP’s commitment to be noble and valuable, namely providing an education that develops outstanding generations while nurturing sensitivity to societal challenges. (Public Communication/UNDIP/Dhany, ed. Nurul)
