Banjarmasin – The Department of Social Science Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP), Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM), organized an academic discussion entitled “Synergy between Academic Activities and Student Organizations in Strengthening Scholarly Culture in Higher Education” on Friday–Saturday, December 19–20, 2025. The activity was held at the Social Science Education Writing Laboratory of FKIP ULM and attended by students of the Social Science Education program from various cohorts who are actively involved in both academic pursuits and student organizations.
The discussion featured Prof. Dr. Desy Safitri, M.Si. as the keynote speaker and was conducted from 13:00 to 14:00 WITA. In her presentation, Prof. Desy Safitri emphasized the importance of integrating academic activities with student organizational involvement as a fundamental pillar in building a strong scholarly culture at the university level.
She highlighted that student engagement in academic work, organizational activities, and a sustained culture of writing and research plays a crucial role in shaping critical thinking, leadership capacity, and academic maturity. The speaker also discussed opportunities for pursuing further studies through the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) Scholarship, which serves as a strategic national program to support the development of high-quality human resources.
According to Prof. Desy Safitri, active participation in academic and organizational activities provides valuable capital for students preparing to compete for LPDP scholarships. Students are encouraged to build strong academic records, leadership experience, and meaningful contributions aligned with their field of study and community engagement from an early stage of their academic journey.
The discussion was conducted in an interactive atmosphere, marked by high student enthusiasm during the question-and-answer session. Participants actively raised questions regarding strategies for balancing academic responsibilities and organizational commitments, as well as effective preparation for postgraduate studies through scholarship programs.
Through this activity, students gained new insights into the importance of academic planning and continuous self-development. The Department of Social Science Education FKIP ULM hopes that this discussion will further motivate students to strengthen scholarly culture, remain actively involved in student organizations, and prepare themselves to seize future academic and professional opportunities.
