The Tourism Master Program at the Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada (SPs UGM) hosted MKP Gathering 2026 as a platform for students and alumni from different cohorts to strengthen connections, foster a sense of community, and create an increasingly inclusive and collaborative academic environment. The event was held on Friday, August 21st 2026, at the corridor and front courtyard of the Lengkung Building, Unit 1, Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada.
MKP Gathering 2026, under the theme “Gempita Wastra Pariwisata” (The Vibrancy of Tourism Textiles), embraced the diverse regional backgrounds of its students as part of the richness of academic and social interactions within the program. The event was organized to foster a strong sense of community among students and alumni from different cohorts, and strengthen relationships within the extended community of the Tourism Master Program at SPs UGM.
The event opened with remarks from the Chief of the Tourism Master’s Program, Dr. rer. pol. Dyah Widiyastuti, S.T., MCP. The gathering continued with various student activities, including ice-breaking sessions, performances by students from different cohorts, group competitions, and an exchange of traditional regional foods. The program was further enlivened by a flash mob, a group photo session, a gift exchange, and informal social activities aimed at fostering closer interactions among students and alumni.
More than simply a gathering, MKP Gathering 2026 represents part of the program’s efforts to build an academic ecosystem that recognizes relationships among students, alumni, academic staff, and program administrators as an essential element in strengthening the academic community. The participation of new students, current students, alumni from different cohorts, academic staff, and the Chief of the Program is expected to create a more open and engaging space for interaction and strengthen a sense of belonging to the broader community of the Tourism Master’s Program at UGM.
This event showed the Master’s Program in Tourism Studies not only welcomed the new academic year but also reaffirmed the importance of togetherness, diversity, and collaboration as the foundations for creating a supportive and conducive postgraduate educational environment. By bringing together diverse experiences and backgrounds in a shared space for interaction, MKP Gathering is expected to serve as a momentum for strengthening academic networks while preserving the collective identity of the Tourism Master’s Program community at SPs UGM.
Writer: Siti Muyasaroh