To commemorate Wikipedia’s 25th Birthday, KlubWiki Universitas Brawijaya held a series of Wikipedia 25 celebrations inviting contributors to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects from Malang and East Java to learn from each other, discuss, and strengthen relationships. Supported by the Wikimedia Foundation through the Wikipedia 25 Grant and in collaboration with the Student Development and Disability Services Agency (BPM-LD) of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), KlubWiki Universitas Brawijaya — a university-based wiki club affiliated with Wikimedia Indonesia (WMID) — successfully organized a series of Wikipedia 25 activities consisting of WikiLatih Wikipedia (Wikipedia Training), a Photography Competition, a Photography Exhibition, and a Community Gathering as the concluding event.
Wikipedia Trainings
Wikipedia Training to celebrate Wikipedia’s birthday was a new and exciting initiative, as it involved lecturers, staff, and students from multiple universities in Malang, namely Universitas Brawijaya (UB), Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), dan Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim (UIN Maliki Malang). A series of trainings opens opportunities for cross-institutional collaboration and expanding academic contributions to Indonesian Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects. Held on February 4–5, the first day was attended by around 20 lecturers and staff, while the second day welcomed 30 students from the three universities. WikiLatih Wikipedia 25 successfully became a collaborative space for building participants’ capacity in editing and creating new articles on Indonesian Wikipedia.
At the WikiLatih session with lecturers/staff, three best participants were selected, namely Mr. Yustika Citra Mahendra (International Relations, UB), Mr. M. Riza Hanafi (International Relations, UB), and Mrs. Devita Prinanda (International Relations, UMM). Meanwhile, at the WikiLatih session with students, the three best participants were Suci Dwi Febriyanti (Government Science, UB), Dwi Ananda Putri (Arabic Language and Literature, UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang), and Amelia Resti Iffadah (English Literature, UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang).
Photography Competition and Exhibition: Humans in a Frame
The Wikipedia 25 series also featured a Photography Competition themed “Humans in a Frame,” which invited Indonesian general public to participate. Participants’ photographs were published on Wikimedia Commons with Creative Commons license, making them freely accessible to the public and reflecting the spirit of open knowledge that Wikipedia embodies. The competition not only gathered creative works but also provided a platform for the public to engage with and document contemporary social dynamics through photography. Based on the decision of a panel of judges consisting of Wikimedia volunteers and photographers from the Greater Malang area, three winners were selected: Iswahyu Putra Wasisa as first place, Fitri Dwi Lestari as second place, and Dewa Gede Kresnanta as third place. The competition concluded with a photography exhibition showcasing the 25 best works to symbolize Wikipedia’s 25th birthday. The exhibition was held at the Malang Creative Center (MCC) on February 7th. The winners and the 25 best works were announced on KlubWiki UB’s Instagram account (@klubwikiub).
Community Gathering and Wikipedia’s 25th Birthday Celebration
The Wikipedia 25 series concluded with a Community Gathering and Celebration of Wikipedia’s 25th Birthday. Unlike the typical Wikimedia agenda focused on editing and project development, this event centered on camaraderie, celebration, and reflection on Wikipedia’s journey as a free encyclopedia accessible to all. KlubWiki UB invited 50 contributors to Wikimedia projects from Malang and surrounding areas — not just KlubWiki UB members — and designed the event to be as open and seamless as possible, with no barriers between participants. Seating was randomly arranged so contributors from diverse backgrounds and experiences could mingle freely, fostering new conversations, expanded networks, and a stronger spirit of collaboration within the free knowledge movement.
The gathering opened with a birthday cake and tumpeng (rice cone) ceremony led by Kanyadibya Cendana Prasetyo (User:Kanzcech) and Wishnu Mahendra Wiswayana (User:WMWis), Board of Advisors of KlubWiki UB and lecturers at the Department of International Relations, Universitas Brawijaya. The event then continued with a “Human Library on Wikimedia Stories” session, posing the question: “What is a memorable experience and article for you as a contributor?”. The session was led by Dian Agustin, Wikimedia Indonesia Education Team Coordinator, and Annida Fattiya, former KlubWiki UB Contact Person. Each participant then shared their most memorable contributions and articles with their tablemates, creating an intimate and reflective atmosphere.
The atmosphere was then liven up by individual and team games, with KlubWiki UB providing several prizes that added to the festive spirit. The gathering concluded with a dinner and a photo booth where participants could take home photo strips and merchandise as souvenirs of Wikipedia’s 25th anniversary. This series of events embodied KlubWiki UB’s hope that the spirit of collaboration, camaraderie, and commitment to free knowledge may continue to grow among Wikimedia contributors and may our communities thrive.
Acknowledgment
The celebration with KlubWiki Universitas Brawijaya was made possible by the organizing team, User:Kanzcech, User:WMWis, User:Almasiva Tirta Maedy, User:Farizor, User:Qaniadr, User:Syaasantoso, and User:Biblionovich, who have poured their energy to plan, organize, and conduct every event successfully. We would like to thank you the dedicated volunteers, our members, our university partners (KlubWiki UIN and UMM), and Wikimedia East Java for their efforts and support to make the celebration possible.
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