UNDIP, Semarang (11/9) – The Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPIK) at Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) hosted a national-scale event by successfully holding the 2nd Meeting of the Indonesian Forum for Communication of Fisheries and Marine Science Higher Education Institutions (FKPTPK) 2026. The three-day meeting was held September 9–11, 2026, at the UNDIP Tembalang Campus.
The strategic meeting was attended by the forum’s core management, deans, vice deans, directors, and members from higher education institutions in fisheries and marine science across Indonesia. The forum served as an important platform for discussing global challenges in the marine sector, strategies to increase prospective students’ interest, curriculum restructuring based on Outcome-Based Education (OBE), strengthening inter-university networks, and formulating national recommendations for the government.
Dean of FPIK UNDIP and Chair of FKPTPK Indonesia, Prof. Agus Trianto, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., said in his remarks that Indonesia has enormous marine potential. Still, this potential has not yet fully attracted younger generations to pursue studies and careers in fisheries and marine science.
“Although 70 percent of Indonesia’s territory consists of ocean and the country has the second-longest coastline in the world, these two factors have not yet become a strong enough magnet to encourage our young people to pursue fisheries and marine science,” Prof. Agus said.
According to Prof. Agus, this situation represents a shared challenge for fisheries and marine science higher education institutions in Indonesia. Therefore, FKPTPK is encouraging joint efforts to increase prospective students’ interest in study programs in these fields. Strengthening inter-university networks is also an important part of FKPTPK’s agenda. Prof. Agus encouraged the establishment of cooperation networks or clusters that would enable higher education institutions to support one another in research and publications.
Meanwhile, UNDIP Vice Rector for Resources, Dr. Warsito Kawedar, S.E., M.Si., Akt., who officially opened the meeting, said the development of study programs should also consider how they are packaged and communicated to prospective students.
“At UNDIP, we have eliminated the term ‘air mata’ [literally, ‘tears’]; what we have are faculties that are willing to take out loans or not. The logic is that being willing to take out a loan means being ready to move forward. If a faculty wants to advance, there must be concrete efforts to move up to the next level, make its study programs highly sought after and ensure they have strong competitiveness,” Dr. Warsito explained.
He said that study program names and the profiles presented to the public should align with the competencies and career prospects they offer. This is an important element in making study programs more attractive amid competition in higher education.
Dr. Warsito also encouraged higher education institutions to strengthen research cooperation among institutions. He said UNDIP continues to increase support for faculty research activities as part of efforts to strengthen research performance and scientific publications.
The plenary sessions of the 2nd FKPTPK Indonesia Meeting 2026 featured several expert speakers. Dean of the Faculty of Animal and Agricultural Sciences (FPP) UNDIP, Prof. Dr. Sugiharto, S.Pt., M.Sc., Ph.D., presented “Transforming Study Programs to Increase Prospective Student Interest.” Meanwhile, UNDIP Director of Academic Affairs, Prof. Dr.nat.tech. Siswo Sumardiono, S.T., M.T., delivered a presentation titled “Structuring an OBE Curriculum: Ensuring the Achievement of Learning Outcomes through Systematic and Impactful Design.”
In addition to curriculum strengthening and the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement with the Directorate General of Marine and Coastal Resources Management (Pengelolaan Kelautan dan Ruang Laut / PKRL) of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the forum also highlighted the importance of developing a Body of Knowledge, formulating policy recommendations for ministries, and establishing inter-university network clusters to improve the quality of joint research and scientific publications.
In the election of the FKPTPK Indonesia board for the 2026–2028 term, Prof. Agus Trianto, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., was once again entrusted with the role of Chair of FKPTPK Indonesia. Prof. Agus will continue his leadership in strengthening collaboration and networks among higher education institutions in fisheries and marine sciences across Indonesia.
The first day of the academically intensive meeting concluded with a distinctive UNDIP-style atmosphere of camaraderie, including a fun fishing competition around the FPIK campus and a gala dinner that strengthened ties among higher education leaders from across Indonesia. The meeting is expected to produce a strong FKPTPK board for the 2026–2028 term and deliver concrete breakthroughs to advance Indonesia’s marine and fisheries sector. (Public Communication/UNDIP/Ninok Hariyani)
