Semarang. Three students from the Faculty of Psychology at Tarumanagara University (Untar) successfully participated as speakers in the National Scientific Meeting (Temilnas) of the Social Psychology Association (IPS) HIMPSI XV 2026, held on July 6–8, 2026 at the Faculty of Psychology, Diponegoro University (UNDIP), Semarang. Their participation is one way Untar contributes to the development of psychology through scientific research at the national level.
Carrying the theme “Social Psychology: Impact on Individuals, Families, Communities, and Global Society,” Temilnas IPS HIMPSI XV 2026 brings together academics, researchers, practitioners, and students from various universities in Indonesia to present their research findings and discuss current issues in social psychology.
The Faculty of Psychology at Tarumanagara University sent two teams to represent them at the conference. The first team was led by Dr. Yohanes Budiarto, S.Pd., M.Si., along with two Untar students. Meanwhile, the second team consisted of Salsa Hanifah Maryam as the main presenter, Nurhalina Fadilah Rahmah, and Argyta Putri Raisha as team members, under the guidance of Dr. Dra. Fransisca Iriani Roesmala Dewi, M.Si. and Bonar Hutapea, S.Psi., M.Psi., presenting their research titled The Role of Student Organizations in Shaping Social Identity.
At the symposium session, the F.Psi. Untar student team presented a study titled “The Role of Student Organizations in Shaping College Students’ Social Identity” using the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method, referring to the international PRISMA 2020 standards. The research was motivated by the diverse experiences of students during campus life, especially the differences between students who are active in organizations and those who focus more on academic activities. Through a systematic review of 35 scientific articles selected from 53 publications, the study explored how student organizations contribute to shaping students’ social identity.
The research results show six main themes, namely student organizations as a shaper of social identity, the growth of a sense of belonging, development of leadership and soft skills, impact on academic experiences, influence on mental health and well-being, as well as various challenges such as group exclusivity and potential conflicts if the organization is not managed inclusively.
The findings show that student organizations play an important role in shaping social identity while also being a space for self-development, as long as they can create a healthy, open, and supportive environment for all their members.
Learning from the National Scientific Forum
Besides presenting their research, the participants also got the chance to have direct discussions with academics and researchers from various universities. The various critical questions posed by the panelists became a valuable experience for the Untar team to deepen their understanding of research methodology and improve the quality of their scientific work.
Nurhalina Fadilah Rahmah admitted that participating in Temilnas was her first experience that left a very strong impression during her time in college.
This Temilnas was truly an amazing experience for me. The atmosphere was competitive but still warm, which made me even more motivated to do research. I learned a lot from the discussion sessions, both when presenting my own research and when listening to presentations from other academics. This experience made me even more confident to keep developing my curiosity through research.
A similar thing was also shared by Argyta Putri Raisha. According to her, having the chance to attend a national scientific conference since the first year of college is an experience she never imagined before.
I never expected to be able to discuss directly with professors, researchers, and academics from various regions and even at the international level. The research process, full of challenges, actually provided a lot of learning, especially about the importance of teamwork and meticulousness in conducting scientific studies.
As the main presenter, Salsa Hanifah Maryam said that the process leading up to Temilnas started from learning the Systematic Literature Review method to preparing a presentation for a national scientific forum.
This experience became very meaningful because it was my first systematic literature review as well as my first experience presenting research results at a national scientific conference. I hope to keep learning, producing useful scientific work, and contributing to the development of psychology.
Support from Academic Advisors
The success of the Untar student team wouldn’t have been possible without the guidance of their academic advisors, Dr. Dra. Fransisca Iriani Roesmala Dewi, M.Si., and Bonar Hutapea, S.Psi., M.Psi., who accompanied them throughout the research process—from drafting the abstract, developing the scientific article, to preparing for the presentation.
On the first day of the activity, the team was also accompanied by Dr. Dra. Fransisca Iriani Roesmala Dewi, M.Si., before she returned to Jakarta to attend the 32nd anniversary celebrations of the Faculty of Psychology at Tarumanagara University.
Meanwhile, Bonar Hutapea, S.Psi., M.Psi., was unable to attend in person, but still provided guidance throughout the research drafting process.
Expanding Academic Knowledge
Besides attending the scientific symposium, participants also have the chance to join discussion forums with international researchers, take part in various scientific sessions, and go on a Walking Tour of Old Semarang, which is part of the series of activities for Temilnas IPS HIMPSI XV 2026.
Melalui partisipasi dalam konferensi ini, mahasiswa tidak hanya memperoleh pengalaman mempresentasikan hasil penelitian, tetapi juga memperluas jejaring akademik, mengembangkan kemampuan berpikir kritis, serta memperkuat semangat untuk terus berkontribusi dalam pengembangan ilmu psikologi.
The participation of students from Untar’s Faculty of Psychology in the IPS HIMPSI XV 2026 National Student Meeting is expected to motivate other students to actively conduct research, produce quality scientific work, and take part in academic forums at both national and international levels.
(NFR dan RH)