UMS Students Win Best Presenter Award at Malaysia's 6th JCC

Umda Garit Artiar and Rengganis Ranggita Ranggawuni, both students from UMS Communication Science Program, earned Best Presenter awards at the 6th Jogjakarta Communication Conference (JCC), held in a hybrid format on April 29–30, 2025. The conference was based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and brought together academics, researchers, and communication practitioners from various countries.

Umda Garit Artiar was awarded third place for Best Presenter for her research titled "Pentahelix Communication Model in Sustainable Village Development: A Study on Waste Management in Trangsan Village." In her presentation, Umda explained how the pentahelix communication model, engaging five key sectors: academia, business, community, government, and media, can strengthen sustainable development, particularly in waste management efforts in Trangsan Village, Central Java.

“The pentahelix model isn't just about spreading information; it creates a space for dialogue and negotiation that encourages active community participation. Cross-sector collaboration is key to ensuring the sustainability of waste management programs,” Umda explained on Tuesday (6/5/2025)

Participants of the 6th Jogjakarta Communication Conference (JCC) posed for a group photo on April 29–30, 2025.

Her research shows that a multistakeholder approach helps create more holistic and long-lasting solutions.

Meanwhile, Rengganis Ranggita Ranggawuni secured second place for Best Presenter with a different focus: cyberfeminism in the context of social media. In her presentation, Rengganis analyzed content from the Instagram account of gender activist Kalis Mardiasih, who effectively uses digital platforms to raise awareness about gender equality issues.

“Cyberfeminism leverages digital spaces as tools for women’s empowerment. Kalis Mardiasih’s content not only challenges narrow femininity stereotypes but also creates an inclusive space for diverse gender identities,” Rengganis explained.

She emphasized that social media is a strategic tool for advocating alternative narratives that are often marginalized in traditional public forums.

The achievements of these two students were praised by the Head of the Communication Science Department at UMS, Sidiq Setyawan, S.I.Kom., M.I.Kom.

“We’re proud to see our students competing at an international level. This proves that the curriculum and research development in Communication Sciences at UMS meet global standards,” he stated.

This achievement is expected to inspire other students to actively participate in international academic forums. In addition to broadening their horizons, involvement in conferences like JCC also opens up opportunities for research collaboration with scholars from around the world.