UMS Students Won Two Awards at International Pitch Project Competition

Najihus Salam, an Al-Quran and Tafsir Studies (IQT) student at the Faculty of Islamic Studies, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), won 2nd place for Best Project Innovation and 2nd place for Best Video Innovation at the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Pitch Project Competition. The event was held at the International Youth Center in Malaysia from June 25-28, 2024, organized by the Indonesian Youth Excursion Network. This international competition emphasizes contributions and support for SDGs innovation.

“We prepared the project for about two months, and just presented it yesterday. We only practiced the online presentation four times, and then we practiced offline once the night before the presentation. Alhamdulillah, we got nominated,” said Najihus during an interview on Wednesday (6/28/2024)

Najihus, who also served as the team leader, and his colleagues introduced a digital innovation focused on SDG No. 4, Quality Education. Their project, Schol-E, is a platform that offers various features to enhance soft skills in preparation for scholarships, including workshops and training classes for high school, undergraduate, and master’s students.

Najihus and his team posing for a photo at the Pitch Project Competition International Youth Center in Malaysia. Photo: private collection

Najihus had to go through administrative selection, interviews, and online focus group discussions to participate.

Najihus passed the selection process and was chosen as one of the 54 best Indonesian delegates to travel to Malaysia. He outperformed over 500 other participants and, along with his team, represented UMS in the specially funded category.

In addition to the competition, participants visited Universiti Malaya (UM) and International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). They also experienced a cultural exchange with traditional dances from various tribes and races in Malaysia and visited one of the chocolate companies in Malaysia to learn the business and production process.

The IQT student wisely advised that achievement isn’t exclusive to those at the top but also belongs to those who bravely take the first step and persevere through the journey.

“Let’s keep trying. Failure is a natural part of the process. The important thing is to have the courage to try,” he said.

Writer: Fika

Editor: Gede

Translator: Farizal

Source: News UMS