Semarang, August 1, 2025 – Another proud achievement has been made by students of Diponegoro University. Team Motekar 20, consisting of students from the Information and Public Relations Study Program and the Tax Accounting Vocational School of UNDIP, won 2nd place in the Scientific Paper category in the Social and Humanities field at the Indonesian Vocational Olympics (OLIVIA X UB) held by the Indonesian Vocational Higher Education Forum (FPTVI). This competition serves as a platform for developing the skills and innovation of vocational students across Indonesia, with a focus on applying science and technology to support sustainable development. This year, Brawijaya University acted as the host.
Team Motekar 20 consisted of Ardelia Zahra Hestiningtyas and Anindita Citra Aulia from the Information and Public Relations Study Program, as well as Syafira Aulia Azahra from the Tax Accounting Study Program class of 2024, with advisor Yofiendi Indah Indainanto, M.I.Kom. In this competition, they presented a scientific paper titled “BAIK: Promoting the Ngrowot Fasting Tradition through an Educational Approach as an Effort to Reduce the Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus in Jakarta.”
The work stems from concerns about the high number of diabetes sufferers in DKI Jakarta, which is one of the provinces with the highest prevalence in Indonesia. Through literature research and a culture-based educational approach, the team presented the BAIK program innovation, an acronym for Sustainable, Accessible, Inclusive, and Collaborative, which adapts the Ngrowot fasting tradition into a healthy low-glycemic diet. This distinctive Javanese tradition replaces rice consumption with local tubers such as gembili, kimpul, and garut, which have been scientifically proven to help lower blood sugar levels and improve metabolic health.
The BAIK program focuses not only on health aspects but also on preserving local cultural values. Through an educational approach, the Ngrowot tradition is packaged in the form of digital campaigns, community workshops, and community programs such as “Ngrowot Day” to build awareness among urban communities about the importance of a healthy lifestyle based on local wisdom.
The final competition, held from July 29, 2025, to July 31, 2025, at Brawijaya University, Malang, was attended by various vocational universities from all over Indonesia, including IPB University, Hasanuddin University, University of North Sumatra, and Brawijaya University. The UNDIP team stood out with their idea that harmoniously combined science, culture, and education.
“It’s an incredible miracle. This is the first time my team and I have participated in a scientific paper competition, and thank God, the results are very satisfying. We hope this victory can motivate other UNDIP Inhum students to continue working and competing,” said Ardelia.
Through this achievement, UNDIP Vocational School students hope that the BAIK innovation can inspire the wider community, while also affirming that local wisdom can provide scientific solutions to modern health issues, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) points 3 (good health) and 11 (sustainable cities and communities).