On Tuesday, 28 October 2025, UNY held a ceremony in commemoration of the 97th Youth Pledge Day at the rectorate courtyard, with solemnity and order.

With the theme “Young Men and Women Move, United Indonesia”, UNY reaffirmed its commitment to continue moving toward a diverse Indonesia in unity.

This commitment was visible in the clothing worn by the ceremony participants, which consisted of various ethnic groups. This is one way to demonstrate that the Youth Pledge was attended by many organizations and unities—not just Jong Java or Jong Celebes alone.

In the ceremony address, Prof. Dr. Sumaryanto, M. Kes., AIFO, as the presiding officer, read a speech from Erick Thohir which aligned with UNY’s spirit. He said: “Today our task is different. We no longer raise the sharpened bamboo spear, but we raise knowledge, hard work, and honesty. Yet the spirit remains the same: Indonesia must stand tall. Indonesia must not lose.”

Also read was the result of the 28 October 1928 Youth Congress by the student unit UKM Pramuka to strengthen nationalism and patriotism among the UNY academic community.

One participant stated that the diversity shown during the ceremony indirectly depicted how Indonesia is united. “It also includes the ‘Bhinneka Tunggal Ika’ (Unity in Diversity) which we have long made our nation’s motto. The nation’s history has also long written that Indonesia consists of many ethnic groups that cannot simply be separated.”

The ceremony concluded with the singing of three national songs by the student choir “Swara Wadhana”: Satu Nusa Satu Bangsa, Padamu Negeri, and Bangun Pemudi Pemuda, before the closing prayer.