Quality Education

UNESA hosts educational events open to the general public

Universitas Negeri Surabaya (UNESA) hosts both free and charged educational events at the university that are open to the general public. In 2025 and 2026 its directorates, faculties and study programmes opened festivals, exhibitions, lectures, seminars and webinars to visitors from outside the university, most of them free of charge, and charged a fee for some, such as the Sengkuni 7 international art exhibition in November 2025, with tickets at Rp15,000 (S1 Seni Rupa Murni, 2025), and the Exploring Mathematical Modeling 2026 programme in September 2026 (Table 1, Figure 1).

Table 1. UNESA public events in 2025 and 2026 whose source states the entry fee

Both charged and free public events

UNESA hosts educational events at the university that are open to the general public, most of them free and some with a fee. In 2025 its central directorates opened two of its largest events to visitors from outside the university. The Directorate of International Affairs held the International Cultural Festival 2025 on 3 October 2025 at Graha Sawunggaling, where students from 21 countries presented their cultures and booths for Korean, Chinese and French language learning, Indonesian for foreign speakers (BIPA) and the Australia-Indonesia Youth Association were open for visitors, including school pupils, to explore (Pintar Indonesia, 2025). From 24 to 26 November 2025 the Directorate of Innovation, Rankings and Scientific Publications held INNOVNESA #3, the UNESA Innovation Product Exhibition, showing 79 products made by lecturers and students, opened with guests from the Surabaya city government and industry (Metrotoday, 2025). The Faculty of Medicine’s stand at the exhibition drew hundreds of visitors, including teachers and junior and senior secondary school (SMP and SMA) pupils, and gave a free dental check-up to ten visitors each day and free toothpaste to every participant (Fakultas Kedokteran, 2025).

In the same month, the S1 Pendidikan Sejarah (History Education) study programme held an online international guest lecture on European co-imperialism and Indonesia with Nuri Kurnaz, a doctoral candidate at the University of Amsterdam, on 7 November 2025, attended by more than 250 participants, including members of the public with an interest in colonial history (Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Politik, 2025).

In 2026 UNESA’s faculties and study programmes again opened lectures, seminars, exhibitions and webinars to the public free of charge (Table 1). On 10 April 2026 the Labour Law unit of the Faculty of Law held the International Seminar on the Future of Work 2026, open to the public, at the Faculty of Law auditorium, where three speakers, two of them from Kazakhstan, discussed gig economy work and labour regulation (Fakultas Hukum, 2026). The S1 Pendidikan Kimia (Chemistry Education) study programme ran a practitioner lecture on school management online on 25 April 2026, free and open to participants from outside the university (S1 Pendidikan Kimia, 2026a). The Faculty of Psychology held Psychopreneur 2026 from 4 to 7 May 2026, an exhibition and bazaar of products from more than 170 student teams, open to the public and free to visit (Fakultas Psikologi, 2026). From 18 to 22 May 2026 the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) hosted its Visiting Top Professor 2026 general lecture and workshops with Prof. Ebenezer Bonyah of Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Ghana, free for the academic community and the general public (S1 Pendidikan Kimia, 2026b).

UNESA also offers free learning to parents and families. In May 2026 the S3 Ilmu Pendidikan (Doctoral Programme in Educational Sciences) held two webinars on Zoom, one on positive parenting to build children’s character (S3 Ilmu Pendidikan, 2026a) and one on digital parenting and a growth mindset (S3 Ilmu Pendidikan, 2026b), both free for the general public, with an e-certificate for participants. The S1 Pendidikan Bahasa Jerman (German Education) study programme held QUESTOFIA 2026, an exhibition of German-language teaching media made by its students, at the Faculty of Languages and Arts, open to the public with no entry ticket, as reported on 3 June 2026 (S1 Pendidikan Bahasa Jerman, 2026).

UNESA also charges an entry or registration fee for some of its public events. The Faculty of Languages and Arts held Sengkuni 7: Harmony, an international exhibition of two- and three-dimensional works by Indonesian and foreign artists, from 13 to 17 November 2025, open to the academic community and the general public, with tickets at Rp15,000, or Rp20,000 at the door, including a wristband and a digital catalogue (S1 Seni Rupa Murni, 2025). The S2 Matematika (Mathematics Master’s) study programme of FMIPA, with Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta and Nara Women’s University, Japan, ran Exploring Mathematical Modeling (EMM) 2026 from 21 to 26 September 2026 at FMIPA UNESA, Kampus 1 Ketintang, for S1, S2 and S3 students and general participants from Indonesia and abroad, with a registration fee set by participant category (Table 1) (S2 Matematika, 2026).

Further evidence

Universitas Negeri Surabaya (UNESA) conducts various public educational initiatives, facilitating broader society access to academic expertise, technological innovations, scholarly research, and cross-cultural activities. By leveraging its central directorates, faculties, and academic departments, UNESA delivers interactive workshops, cultural celebrations, academic exhibitions, and open lectures that broaden instructional reach well beyond its primary student populace.

At the institutional tier, the Directorate of Innovation, Rankings, and Scientific Publications hosted the third UNESA Innovation Product Exhibition (InnovNESA) from 24 to 26 November 2025 at the Lidah Wetan campus, displaying 79 creative and technological artifacts crafted by academic staff, students, and affiliated start-up ventures. Covering domains such as educational technology, artificial intelligence, athletic science, inclusive design, and applied research, the event featured interactive showcases, thematic dialogue sessions, and public networking opportunities to highlight practical applications of institutional research.

Additionally, the university staged ParaFest 2025 through the Directorate of UNESA Science Center alongside its dedicated units for athletics, disability support, and cultural arts on 30 November 2025. This inclusive gathering combined practical creative workshops, athletic demonstrations, and artistic displays, actively involving youth with disabilities from diverse territories to foster educational community involvement and advance inclusive practices.

Through its Directorate of International Affairs, UNESA organized the International Cultural Festival on 3 October 2025, bringing together scholars from 21 nations and attracting over 600 attendees from surrounding educational institutions and the local public. The annual event features interactive cultural displays and collaborative engagements that enable attendees to discover global heritage, fostering international learning and civic engagement.

Beyond central initiatives, UNESA faculties and academic departments host diverse educational displays, cultural festivals, and community learning programs through both complimentary and ticketed participation models.

In May 2025, the Faculty of Education (FIP) staged the Gelar Karya exhibition as part of Bulan Pendidikan, bringing together 5,807 student creations, including instructional media, modules, books, digital applications, and educational products. Convening school representatives and institutional partners, the event allowed attendees to explore pedagogical innovations for practical classroom integration.

The Faculty of Psychology launched Bulan Kesehatan Mental 2025 in September, with outreach initiatives centered on psychological wellness. The annual event is the second time after the faculty was launched. This series featured academic forums, psychology insight sessions, and inclusive activities like art therapy and traditional games for diverse audiences.

Additional academic divisions welcomed the broader public to scholarly gatherings. The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) presented MUSE Chem on 9 December 2025, highlighting immersive virtual and augmented reality tools, interactive software, and accessible chemistry resources. Simultaneously, the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) organized Sociovation 2025 to display student solutions targeting societal and environmental challenges.

To facilitate public engagement with international arts, the Faculty of Languages and Arts hosted Sengkuni 7: Harmony International Art Exhibition from 13 to 17 November 2025. Entry was open to external visitors with standard admission fees set at Rp15,000 for advance purchase and Rp20,000 at the door, featuring 170 artistic pieces from domestic and international creators to promote global artistic expression.

Through these faculty and study program initiatives, UNESA provides educational experiences across different disciplines, including education, psychology, science, social development, and the arts. The combination of publicly accessible and ticketed activities supports opportunities for communities beyond the university to engage with academic and creative knowledge.