Semarang, June 24, 2026 – The Christian Community Fellowship (Persekutuan Umat Kristiani – PUK) of Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) organized an Interfaith Symposium themed “Togetherness in Building Harmonious Interaction and Productive Collaboration” on Wednesday (24/6) at the FIMENA Auditorium, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) UNDIP. This event served as a dialogue platform, bringing together religious leaders, the academic community, and the public to foster the spirit of tolerance, brotherhood, and interfaith cooperation in building a harmonious and productive community life.
The event was attended by Prof. Dr. Suharnomo, S.E., M.Si., Rector of Universitas Diponegoro; Wijayanto, S.IP., M.Si., Ph.D., Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, Cooperation, and Public Communication; Prof. Ir. Didik Wisnu Widjajanto, M.Sc.Res., Ph.D., Chairman of the UNDIP Christian Community Fellowship; Dr. Drs. Teguh Yuwono, M.Pol.Admin., Dean of FISIP UNDIP; alongside various religious figures, lecturers, administrative staff, students, and participants from diverse faith backgrounds.
Distinguished speakers presenting at the symposium included Bahruddin (Gus Din), Leader of the Qaryah Thayyibah Learning Community (KBQT) Salatiga; Budiyanto, M.Pd., Representative of the Semarang Buddhist Community; Dewa Artayasa from the Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI) Semarang; Pastor Anugerah Setiawan, General Secretary of the Synod of the Javanese Christian Church (GKJ); Ws. Andi Tjiok, Representative of the Semarang Confucian Community; and Father Ibnu Fajar Muhammad, MSF, Parish Priest of Semarang Indah. Also in attendance was Prof. Dr. Ir. Sriyana, M.S., IPU., APEC. Eng., serving as a functionary of the UNDIP Christian Community Fellowship.
In his welcoming remarks, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Robetmi Jumpakita Pinem, S.AB., MBA., Ph.D., expressed his hope that the symposium would provide an open, respectful, and constructive space for dialogue among all participants. “Through this symposium, we hope to foster an open, respectful, and constructive dialogue. We gather here not to debate our differences, but to discover shared values that can serve as the foundation for building a harmonious and productive campus life. We believe that tolerance is not merely an attitude of accepting differences, but also a willingness to cooperate, support one another, and collectively offer solutions to the various challenges we face as a nation,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the UNDIP Christian Community Fellowship, Prof. Ir. Didik Wisnu Widjajanto, M.Sc.Res., Ph.D., emphasized that diversity is a strength that must be nurtured and utilized as social capital in nation-building. “We are pluralistic in every aspect. Let us not perceive diversity as a weakness, but rather as a profound strength,” he asserted.
The Dean of FISIP UNDIP, Dr. Drs. Teguh Yuwono, M.Pol.Admin., expressed his appreciation for hosting the event within the FISIP environment. According to him, being beneficial to others is a core value that must be manifested by every individual and educational institution. “The best of individuals are those who bring benefit to others, the best of universities are those that benefit society, and the best of faculties are those that benefit the entire community. Therefore, when the Christian Community Fellowship proposed to hold this event here, we welcomed and supported it to the best of our ability,” he stated.
In his opening remarks, the Rector of UNDIP, Prof. Dr. Suharnomo, S.E., M.Si., who also officially opened the event, emphasized that the interfaith symposium must deliver a tangible impact on the broader community. “This interfaith symposium is held not merely to impact a specific faith, but its positive resonance must reach the public. Personal transformation, social transformation, and ecological transformation must become our shared spirit. The principles of ‘Dignified UNDIP, Beneficial UNDIP, and Impactful UNDIP’ must truly be felt by society. Even if we are not yet perfect, we must at least serve as a source of inspiration for our surroundings,” he concluded.
Following the official opening, the event proceeded with presentations from the speakers representing various faiths and beliefs. In a warm and respectful atmosphere, the speakers shared their insights on the importance of fostering dialogue, strengthening tolerance, and creating productive collaboration amidst the diversity of Indonesian society.
The interactive discussion session, moderated by Arido Laksono, S.S., M.Hum. and Shindy Sintya Mianani, S.S., M.Hum., was dynamic and drew active participation from the attendees. The various ideas, experiences, and perspectives shared demonstrated that differences are not barriers to cooperation, but rather valuable assets in building a peaceful, inclusive, and sustainable social life.
Through this Interfaith Symposium, the UNDIP Christian Community Fellowship hopes to continually strengthen the culture of interfaith dialogue and collaboration within the campus environment, while encouraging the birth of initiatives that bring tangible benefits to society. This event also reflects Universitas Diponegoro’s commitment to fostering an academic ecosystem that upholds the values of tolerance, diversity, and humanity to realize a university that is dignified, beneficial, and impactful.
