SEMARANG – The Maritime Study Group (MSG), a student research community under the Bachelor of History Study Program, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Diponegoro (Undip), officially marked its revival by conducting a fieldwork activity in the coastal area of Tambak Lorok, North Semarang District, Semarang City on Saturday (15/03). Held on Saturday, March 15, 2025, this activity became a crucial milestone as it was the first field research successfully organized after the group had been on a hiatus since 2018.
The Chairman of MSG, Muhammad Rizky Agli, expressed his gratitude and enthusiasm for the return of this outdoor academic activity. During its execution, the undergraduate history students were divided into several working groups to directly document the realities of the coastal community. “We divided the teams to deeply investigate several crucial themes, ranging from the vital role of coastal women in supporting the family economy, the pulse of local market activities, to the daily realities and life challenges faced by traditional fishermen in Tambak Lorok,” Rizky explained.
The field research was directly supervised by Olga S. Pratama as the activity advisor. This revival momentum was also attended by Rafngi Mufidah, M.A., a lecturer at the Department of History and the former Chairperson of MSG for the 2014–2015 period, who provided tactical guidance on oral history methods to the students.
This academic activity received high appreciation from the department leadership. The Head of the History Department at the Faculty of Humanities Undip, Prof. Dr. Dhanang Respati Puguh, M.Hum., welcomed the reactivation of this field program and emphasized that MSG’s vision aligns perfectly with the university’s academic identity. He stated, “I deeply appreciate and am proud of the initiative and consistency of my students in the Maritime Study Group (MSG), who have revived the tradition of field research today after a period of hiatus. This research activity in Tambak Lorok is highly relevant and in line with the academic excellence of the History Department at Universitas Diponegoro, which focuses on Maritime History. Through MSG, students do not only learn theories in the classroom, but are also able to test and contextualize their knowledge by directly recording the social realities of coastal communities. I hope this initial step serves as a catalyst for consistent maritime research in the future.”
With the completion of this activity on March 15, 2025, MSG FIB Undip is committed to consistently serving as a forum for young historians to study, research, and dedicate their knowledge to the Indonesian maritime society.
The Maritime Study Group (MSG) itself is a student study group under the auspices of the Bachelor of History Study Program, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Diponegoro, focusing on the study, discussion, and research of the history, culture, and social dynamics of maritime and coastal communities.
(RM/ Depsej Undip)
