UNAIR NEWS – A team of students from Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), known as Cendekia Airlangga, has achieved notable international success. Team members Bagas Dimas Pamungkas, Akhmad Pradio Ferdiansyah, Sanda Insania Dewanti, Annisa Fithri, and Lailatul Nikmah from the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) earned a silver medal at the 2024 Global Youth Innovators Competition (GYIC).

Bagas Dimas Pamungkas, speaking on behalf of the team, explained that the GYIC, which took place in Semarang from July 12-14, 2024, focused on innovations aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Cendekia Airlangga won silver with their innovation, ECO-FLOW (Empowering Communities to Foster Local Operational Water), a water purification system.

Commitment to research
In his remarks, Pamungkas highlighted the team’s pride in their accomplishment, attributing their success to their thorough research in water sanitation. “It is incredibly rewarding to see our ideas and innovations recognized internationally with a silver medal,” he stated on July 21, 2024.

The achievement followed three to five months of dedicated research, including surveys, site assessments, land measurement, environmental projections, and interviews with local residents.

Pamungkas added that their innovation met the evaluation criteria, which contributed to their victory. The criteria included aspects of urgency and the potential social impact.

“The assessment was based on urgency, feasibility, sustainability potential, and social impact of the innovation, all aligned with the SDGs, forming the strong foundation for our silver medal achievement,” he added.

Challenges and future goals
Throughout the competition, Team Cendekia Airlangga encountered several challenges, including the use of English. Despite these obstacles, Pamungkas and his team managed to overcome these challenges and secure their win.

“One of the challenges we faced in the GYIC competition was advancing through the stages, all conducted entirely in English, including the presentation of our ideas,” he explained.

The team is not resting on their laurels. Pamungkas and his colleagues hope that ECO-FLOW will serve as a significant contribution from young scientists at FST and make a positive impact on society.

“We also hope that this innovation will inspire more young scientists globally to engage in creating solutions that support the SDGs,” concluded Pamungkas.

Author: Ahmad Hanif Musthafa

Editor : Yulia Rohmawati

Source : https://unair.ac.id/en/unair-team-wins-silver-medal-at-international-competition-with-eco-flow-innovation/