BANDUNG, UNIKOM – As a tangible manifestation of impactful and sustainable community service, the Faculty of Design at the Universitas Komputer Indonesia (UNIKOM) has established a strategic collaboration with the International Young Scientists Association (IYSA) to organize an international workshop for junior high school (SMP) and senior high school (SMA) students on Thursday, July 9, 2026, held in the 6th-floor classroom of the UNIKOM Smart Building. The event, which involved all departments within the UNIKOM Faculty of Design from the Visual Communication Design (DKV), Graphic Design (DG), and Interior Design (DI) programs to the Master of Design (MDS) program aimed to hone creativity while equipping the younger generation with practical skills. Not only does the program focus on fostering cultural values and innovation, but it also aims to promote financial independence and efficiency by applying design principles as concrete solutions to improve the standard of living for the community.
This Community Service Program (PKM) featured two main activities designed to enhance participants’ knowledge and skills. The first class, titled “Paper Sculpture Amazing Pop-Up,” was led by Dr. Yully Ambarsih Ekawardhani, S.Sn., M.Sn., while the second class focused on “Smartphone Modeling Photography,” led by Adityo B. Hardoyo, M.Ds. The workshop activities in both sessions were made possible by the active collaboration of faculty members from the UNIKOM Faculty of Design, who served as speakers, mentors, and committee members. Additionally, the active involvement of students on the organizing committee made a significant contribution to ensuring that the entire workshop series ran smoothly and interactively.
The Executive Chair of the Organizing Committee and Head of the Visual Communication Design Program at UNIKOM, Dr. Kankan Kasmana, S.Sn., M.Ds., explained that there was high enthusiasm for this international workshop, which was attended by participants ranging from junior high school (SMP) to senior high school (SMA) students. “Through this event, we hope that students will not only gain new and enjoyable knowledge but also be able to apply it directly. They learned to create artworks using paper during the paper sculpture session and to understand professional photography techniques using only their smartphones,” said Dr. Kankan.
Furthermore, Dr. Kankan emphasized that the workshop served as a strategic platform for faculty members to directly transfer their knowledge to the community as a form of academic dedication. This ongoing collaboration between UNIKOM’s Faculty of Design and the International Young Scientists Association (IYSA) is an annual event, and this marks the third competition held at UNIKOM. The implementation of this program serves as tangible evidence of UNIKOM’s Faculty of Design’s commitment to delivering community service that has a broad and sustainable impact, while also serving as a strategic step in consistently improving the quality of education and developing the community’s creative capacity.
Meanwhile, the head of the “Paper Sculpture Amazing Pop-Up” Community Service (PKM) team, Dr. Yully Ambarsih Ekawardhani, S.Sn., M.Sn., explained that participants were equipped with technical knowledge regarding the basic principles of paper mechanics, which include the art of folding, cutting, and gluing. According to her, the activity served as an effective promotional tool to introduce the creative aspects of the Visual Communication Design program to the younger generation. “This activity centered on the theme of Indonesian folklore, particularly fables or animal stories, which were then transformed into captivating pop-up designs. Through this approach, we not only hone the participants’ design skills but also instill a sense of pride in the nation’s cultural heritage in a contemporary and innovative way,” said Dr. Yully. Thus, the international workshop organized by UNIKOM Faculty of Design in collaboration with IYSA serves as tangible evidence of a strategic commitment to collaboration in delivering community service programs that are both impactful and sustainable. By combining conventional methods through paper sculpture with the use of modern technology via smartphone photography, this initiative successfully demonstrated that creative synergy can produce innovative works of high social and economic value. Through interactive knowledge transfer, UNIKOM Faculty of Design has not only succeeded in honing the technical skills of the younger generation but has also successfully preserved Indonesia’s cultural heritage while fostering financial independence for the community through sustainable design efficiency and innovation. (Directorate of Hms & Pro)
BANDUNG, UNIKOM – As part of the implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, specifically in the area of Community Service (PKM), the Universitas Komputer Indonesia (UNIKOM), through a team of faculty members from the Communication Studies and Government Studies programs in the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, organized a training session titled “Training for the Karang Taruna of RW 09 Through Digital Content Creation as an Effort to Strengthen Citizen Journalism in Sekejolang Village, Bandung Regency” on Monday, June 22, 2026. Held at RW 09 in Sekejolang Village, Ciburial Village, Bandung Regency, the event was attended by members of the Bina Mandiri Youth Organization as an effort to enhance the capacity of the younger generation to utilize digital technology productively and responsibly.
This training represents a tangible contribution by UNIKOM to supporting the improvement of the community’s digital literacy. Recognizing the significant potential of the youth in Sekejolang Village to utilize digital devices and social media, the UNIKOM PKM team designed a program that equips participants with the knowledge and skills to produce digital content that is informative, educational, and valuable as well as socially impactful for the community. Through this initiative, the UNIKOM PKM team is fostering the emergence of citizen journalists capable of documenting various community activities, highlighting local potential, and conveying accurate and ethical information via digital media.
The implementation of this program is also aligned with the development of the digital ecosystem in Indonesia. According to the 2025 survey by the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII), national internet penetration has reached 80.66 percent or approximately 229.43 million users with Generation Z and Millennials constituting the largest user groups. Additionally, 2025 data from the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs indicates that 72.6 percent of Indonesians use social media as their primary source of information. This situation serves as a crucial foundation for UNIKOM to continue contributing to the improvement of the public’s digital literacy competencies so they can utilize the digital space in a positive, creative, and responsible manner.
The training was divided into three main sessions. The first session covered the basics of citizen journalism, digital media ethics, and social media optimization strategies, presented by UNIKOM Communication Studies faculty members Yasundari, S.I.Kom., M.I.Kom., and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Melly Maulin P., S.Sos., M.Si. Next, participants received instruction on editorial management, planning, and organizational content development, presented by Dr. Ir. Yuni Mogot, M.Si., CPR., along with Rino Adibowo, S.IP., M.I.Pol., a lecturer in the Government Studies Program at UNIKOM. In addition to the four speakers, the training session was also attended by the Secretary of the Communication Studies Program at UNIKOM Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Dr. Olih Solihin, S.Sos., M.I.Kom.
Beyond providing conceptual understanding, the UNIKOM PKM team also conducted hands-on sessions that allowed participants to produce visual content, journalistic videos, and infographics using smartphones and the Canva app. The hands-on sessions were led by Dilif Sanjev, a senior student in the Communication Studies Program at UNIKOM who is active as a journalist for the student newspaper BIRAMA, allowing participants to immediately apply the material they had learned.
On this occasion, the Head of UNIKOM Community Service Team, Yasundari, S.I.Kom., M.I.Kom., stated that the training was designed to provide tangible benefits to the community by enhancing the digital competencies of the younger generation. “Through this training, we want the youth of Karang Taruna to not only understand the theory but also be able to produce content that is informative, creative, useful, and has a real impact on their community,” she explained.
The series of activities was officially opened by Pendi Zayusman, Head of RW 09 in Kampung Sekejolang, and was attended by Agung Septian, Chair of the Karang Taruna RW 09 chapter, along with all participants and the organizing team. As a token of appreciation, at the end of the event, certificates were presented to the speakers, awards were given to the group with the best work, and a post-test was administered to measure the participants’ increased understanding following the training.
Through this Community Service initiative, UNIKOM continues to strengthen its role as a university that makes a tangible impact on society through the application of science, technology, and communication. In line with UNIKOM commitment as a Digital Entrepreneurial University and a campus prepared to embrace digital transformation, this initiative is expected to foster a community that is more adaptive, creative, and productive in utilizing digital media as a means of education, empowerment, and impactful and sustainable regional development. (Direktorat Hms & Pro)
