(FEB NEWS) NILAI, MALAYSIA – A team of Universitas Airlangga has once again brought honor to the nation on the international stage. At the 3rd International Youth Summit , held on Saturday, May 24, 2025, at the University Sains Islam Malaysia in Nilai, Malaysia, the UNAIR student team successfully won second place and a gold medal for the competition's sub-theme.
This prestigious competition, organized by the Sentosa Foundation, University Sains Islam Malaysia (WAYS), aims to capture innovative ideas from ASEAN's young generation. Although intended for participants from across ASEAN, the majority of participants come from Indonesia and Malaysia. The judging process is conducted by professors from University Sains Islam Malaysia.
The UNAIR team that achieved this achievement consisted of five students from various disciplines, namely:
- Azzela Neirine Maharani – Accounting 2024 (Team Leader)
- Fandy Ahmad Firmansyah Anwar – Accounting 2023
- Safrina Putri Indira – Management 2023
- Zhafa Putra Syah – Communication Science 2023
- Rafi Aqillah Afif – English Literature 2023
They presented a work entitled FARMFORWARD: Empowering Communities Through a Social Enterprise Consultant to Achieve Sustainable Economic Goals , a social enterprise-based initiative focused on empowering farmers and reducing food loss . In this initiative, agricultural products that were previously wasted are developed into value-added products by farmers' wives, supported by the FarmForward that provides ongoing consultation and mentoring.
"This competition is a golden opportunity for us to prove that Indonesian students, especially those from Universitas Airlangga, are capable of competing globally by presenting real solutions to social and economic problems," said Safrina Putri Indira in an interview.
Participant selection began with online paper submissions. After going through an initial curation stage, the selected finalists were invited to Malaysia to present their work through a poster expo . Of all the participants, only the top seven teams advanced to the final round, including the UNAIR team, which was crowned second place.
The International Youth Summit is not only a competition but also an international forum that encourages students to think critically, collaborate across cultures, and present solutions to various global issues. Involvement in this forum aligns with Universitas Airlangga of producing graduates who are globally competitive and contribute to sustainable development.
This proud achievement is clear evidence that the spirit of collaboration, innovation, and commitment to social issues can empower students to shine on the world stage.