UNS—Andaru Sekar Jagatru, a student in the Environmental Science Program at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), represented Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta at the Global Youth Innovation Summit (GYIS), held in Singapore and Malaysia from October 21-24, 2024. She was awarded a gold medal for Best Presentation in the SDGs Project category and recognized as Best Leader.
GYIS is a program focused on inspiring young people to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through cultural and educational exchanges. It also provides a platform for delegates to compete in the SDGs Project Presentation. Delegates are divided into groups to create or develop innovative solutions addressing issues related to specific SDG goals.
During the event, UNS delegate Sekar led her team in creating an innovation addressing SDG Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and Goal 11 (Climate Action). Inspired by Dr. Hashfi Hawali Abdul Matin, S.T., M.Ling., Sekar proposed the creation of a biogas device made from rice husks and animal manure.
“I initially wanted to propose a Waste-to-Energy Power Plant (PLTSA), but my mentor suggested a more accessible innovation. Inspired by Dr. Hashfi, a lecturer in Environmental Science at UNS who created biogas from rice husks, my team and I added animal manure as a biogas ingredient,” Sekar explained to uns.ac.id on Monday (10/28/2024). “The result was a tool called ‘Sekot Gas’ (Rice Husk and Manure for Biogas), which costs just USD 133 to produce and can provide energy for 2 to 3 months.”
Sekar shared that her team had been preparing for the project presentation since August, though they faced several challenges due to the team members’ different locations.
“We began preparing the project presentation about a month before the competition, around August. However, our team faced challenges with logistics, as we all live in different areas. The practice sessions and project work were mostly done online, and at times, progress was delayed by a week due to everyone’s schedules,” Sekar said.
When asked how she felt about being awarded Best Presentation for the SDGs Project and Best Leader, Sekar expressed surprise, as she felt her team’s preparation was somewhat lacking. However, she was grateful that their hard work and teamwork paid off.
“This experience is unforgettable. I learned a lot about teamwork, problem-solving, and public speaking. I also gained many inspiring connections from this opportunity,” Sekar added.
HUMAS UNS
