You step into the Dayak Room at ASEEC Tower on a Saturday morning, where ten carefully selected individuals are about to embark on a transformative journey. The air buzzes with anticipation as Universitas Airlangga’s most promising advocates gather for an intensive preparation that will shape their roles as future change-makers. Today marks the beginning of something bigger than any single participant could imagine.
SDGs Ambassador Camp 2025 Builds Next Generation of Sustainability Leaders
Catalyst
The momentum began with Universitas Airlangga’s SDGs Center recognizing an urgent need to cultivate dedicated advocates for global sustainability. On Saturday, June 28, 2025, they launched the SDGs Ambassador Camp as part of the ambitious Airlangga Movement for SDGs Awareness (AMORA) 2025 initiative.
Held at the Dharmawangsa B Campus, this intensive program was specifically designed to transform ten finalists into the next cohort of SDGs Ambassadors. The selection process had already identified individuals with the potential to drive meaningful change, but now came the crucial step of equipping them with the tools they would need.
Rising Action
The first day unfolded with a carefully orchestrated series of sessions covering the SDGs Center’s programs, character development, ethics, and public speaking skills. However, the real challenge wasn’t just absorbing information—it was about fundamentally reshaping how these future ambassadors understood their roles and responsibilities.
Hakim Zulkarnain, S.Kep., Ns., M.SN., a lecturer from UNAIR’s Faculty of Nursing, opened the intensive by introducing participants to the SDGs Center’s key initiatives. He detailed programs including the Call for Community Service (Pengmas) and Call for Research, establishing the foundation upon which their future advocacy would be built.
Ethics and Character Development
The session that followed proved to be particularly revealing. Dr. Dewi Retno Suminar, M.Si., Psychologist, from the Faculty of Psychology, challenged participants to confront a fundamental misconception about personal branding. Rather than focusing solely on projection, she emphasized the critical importance of understanding perception.
“Often, we become fixated on how we present ourselves and forget to consider how others actually see us. That’s when it becomes image-building rather than true personal branding,” Dr. Suminar remarked.
Through interactive exercises, Dr. Suminar guided the finalists through the sometimes uncomfortable process of comparing self-perception with external perspectives. She stressed the vital importance of self-reflection and the ability to accept feedback constructively. Meanwhile, she emphasized that authentic personal branding requires understanding one’s place and role within larger systems.
“The most important thing is understanding where you stand and what role you are expected to play. That’s what professionalism looks like,” she explained, challenging participants to think beyond surface-level presentation.
Turning Point
The breakthrough moment came during the public speaking session when participants realized that effective communication extends far beyond mere verbal delivery.
Dr. Pulung Siswantara, S.KM., M.Kes., from the Faculty of Public Health, revolutionized the finalists’ understanding of public speaking by emphasizing essential components including self-confidence, speech clarity, and body language. However, his most impactful insight challenged conventional thinking about what public speaking actually entails.
“The core of public speaking is knowing your content. One way to ensure that is by reading. Even though it’s called ‘speaking,’ it’s also about reading and listening. The more you read and listen, the more equipped you are to speak effectively,” he explained, fundamentally shifting how participants approached communication preparation.
This revelation transformed their understanding from viewing public speaking as performance to recognizing it as comprehensive knowledge synthesis and sharing. Suddenly, their role as SDGs ambassadors expanded beyond mere advocacy to become informed thought leadership.
Resolution
The intensive day culminated with a Leaderless Group Discussion (LGD) facilitated by Edith Frederika Puruhito, S.KM., MSc (MedSci), a lecturer at the Faculty of Vocational Studies. The ten finalists engaged enthusiastically in this collaborative session, demonstrating how the day’s lessons had already begun reshaping their approach to leadership and communication.
Through this carefully structured sequence of learning experiences, participants emerged with enhanced understanding of sustainable development advocacy, authentic personal branding, and effective communication strategies. The SDGs Ambassador Camp successfully established a foundation for these future leaders to drive meaningful change within their communities and beyond.
As these newly equipped ambassadors prepare to take their knowledge into the world, they represent Universitas Airlangga’s commitment to advancing global sustainable development goals through educated, ethical, and effective advocacy. Their journey from finalists to full-fledged ambassadors promises to amplify the university’s impact on addressing humanity’s most pressing challenges.
