On Wednesday, 26 August 2026, Acicis, in collaboration with the Office of International Affairs (OIA) UGM organised the NGO Fair 2026 in the East Corridor of Grha Sabha Pramana (GSP) at UGM. The NGO Fair 2026 was opened with welcoming remarks by Dr Tyas Ikhsan Hikmawan (Head of OIA) and Dani Karuniawan (Acicis Semester Programme Manager); in their remarks, both expressed the hope that the event would provide a platform for not only international students but also local students or fresh grads to learn about and seek information regarding potential internships and volunteering opportunities offered by various NGOs in Yogyakarta. 

 

There were 29 host organisations participating in the 2026 NGO Fair, comprising a variety of organisations such as NGOs, research centres and corporations. The event ran from 10.00 to 16.30 WIB, giving visitors ample time to explore the host organisations’ stands. This year’s NGO Fair successfully brought together a diverse range of host organisations working in various fields such as gender, the environment, wildlife, law, education, health and so on. The diverse backgrounds of the participating host organisations accommodate students’ preferences in choosing activity programmes (whether aligned with their educational background or interdisciplinary).

The enthusiasm for this event was clearly evident, not only from the creativity shown by the participating organisations in decorating their stands and offering active and participatory activities, but also from the constant stream of visitors (particularly students) who wandered around and took the time to visit each of the organising organisations’ stands. They were not only there to find out about the organisations’ programmes, but also because they were interested in the products on offer and the interactive games arranged by these organisations.

At the end of the event, Acicis held an awards ceremony for the host organisations as a form of appreciation for their participation. The award categories were ‘Most Creative Stand’, awarded to the Centre for Orangutan Protection (COP); ‘Most Attractive Stand’, given to Edu Netra Indonesia; and the ‘NGO GASIK’ award for the NGO that arrived earliest, which went to Yakkum’s Emergency Unit.

 

We (Acicis) would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the host organisations that participated in and contributed to the success of the NGO Fair 2026, namely Animal Friends Jogja (AFJ), Australia-Indonesia Youth Association (AIYA), Build Beyond Borders, Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESASS) UGM, Centre for Orangutan Protection (COP), CIRCLE Indonesia, Caritra Indonesia, Edu Netra Indonesia, Gelanggang Inovasi dan Kreativitas UGM, Get Plastic, Harapan Fian, Hoshizora Foundation, International Students Association Gadjah Mada,LBH Tentrem, Mitra Wacana WRC, Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Center, Perkumpulan Keluarga Berencana Indonesia DIY, PUSHAM UII, SAMSARA, Sekolah Gadjahwong, Travelxism, Yakkum Emergency Unit (YEU), Yayasan Rumah Impian Indonesia, Yayasan SATUNAMA Yogyakarta, Yayasan Vesta, Yayasan Senyum Kita, and Yayasan Jiwa Pulih Bahagia. We are looking forward to more collaborations in the future.