Semarang, June 24, 2025 — The Information and Public Relations Study Program at the Diponegoro University Vocational School has once again demonstrated its tangible contribution to community empowerment through the development of Kandri Tourism Village. The innovative merchandise resulting from the collaboration between Undip Vocational School and Kandri Tourism Village received direct appreciation from the Mayor of Semarang, Dr. Agustina Wilujeng Pramestuti, S.S., M.M., at the 2025 Pokdarwis Jamboree event held at Taman Sleko, Old Town Semarang, on Saturday (June 22).
The merchandise products developed reflect the cultural identity of Kandri, including tote bags featuring the village’s iconic images, tumblers with the Nyadran Kali theme, umbrellas with the “Kandri WAE” logo, and notebooks featuring the Gapura Sendang Gede image. This innovation is considered successful in strengthening the image and appeal of Kandri Tourism Village as a cultural tourism destination in Semarang City.
The Mayor’s appreciation did not stop at praise. The merchandise also inspired the Semarang City Government to develop similar products themed around the brand identity of Semarang City.
“The Mayor is very enthusiastic and appreciates the merchandise. This has inspired her to create merchandise in the form of bags featuring Semarang City’s brand identity, which will later become souvenirs for honored guests visiting Semarang,” said Fatkhan Ainurudi, Head of the Tourism Attractions and Souvenirs Section of Pokdarwis Pandanaran.
In addition, the Mayor plans to bring this special merchandise as official souvenirs during working visits abroad, thereby potentially introducing Semarang City at the international level through cultural diplomacy and creative economy approaches.
The assistance activities for Kandri Tourism Village are part of the implementation of the Tri Dharma Perguruan Tinggi (Three Pillars of Higher Education) that has been carried out by the Information and Public Relations Study Program since 2021. This year, the service team under the leadership of Nur Laili Mardhiyani, S.I.Kom., M.I.Kom., is focusing on developing the village’s brand identity, which is implemented in the form of a merchandise kit.
According to Nur Laili, merchandise products are an important public relations medium for the village. “Kandri Tourism Village is already known by many people, both tourists and visitors from various institutions. Social media optimization has been carried out to increase brand awareness among netizens. However, public relations media is also needed. Due to visits from various stakeholders/institutions, we want to leave a lasting impression on stakeholders in the form of merchandise. This product is expected to provide an overview and strengthen the identity of Kandri itself. Not only the experience gained while in Kandri, but also souvenirs that can be taken home,” she said.
The assistance provided includes training in digital branding, tourism writing, MSME product photography, content calendar creation, cultural catalogs, and strengthening the village’s visual identity. All of these activities contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of Kandri Tourism Village in the creative economy and tourism sectors.
“We have consistently provided assistance to Kandri Tourism Village for 4 years. We hope that in the future we can collaborate directly with the government to assist other Tourism Villages in Semarang City. We are very open, if there are Tourism Villages that need assistance in branding their strengths, we are happy to help. This is proof that Dipoegoro University as an educational institution contributes significantly to sustainability in the community,” added Nur Laili.
With recognition from the Semarang City Government and opportunities to participate in international forums, the innovations developed in collaboration with Undip Vocational School and the Kandri community demonstrate the positive impact of collaboration between academia, government, and the community in developing local potential.