UNS – Students from the International Relations (IR) Study Program at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, Aisyah Zakiyah Nur Aini and Hasna Dherin Syakira, have recently secured 1st place in the Scientific Writing Competition (LKTI) organized by the International Relations Student Association (IRSA). The competition took place at the Diplomacy Laboratory of Satya Wacana Christian University (UKSW), Salatiga, on Saturday (3/8/2024).
The competition, themed “The Impact of the Increase of Geopolitical Dynamics in the Middle East on Global Dynamics,” included sub-themes Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), security, and economics.
Aisyah and Syakira submitted a scientific paper focused on security titled “The Relevance of the Human Security Index (HSI) Components to the High Fragile State Index (FSI) of Yemen Amid Geopolitical Instability from 2012-2022.” Their work outperformed entries from other prestigious universities, including Universitas Prasetiya Mulya and UTY Yogyakarta.
Both Aisyah and Syakira acknowledged that they had been preparing for this competition for a long time, under the guidance of their IR lecturer, Septyanto Galan Prakoso S.I.P., M.Sc.
“We started preparing for this competition well in advance, from submitting the abstract to finally presenting at the UKSW Diplomacy Laboratory last Saturday, all with the support of Mr. Galan,” Syakira explained in a press release received by uns.ac.id on Friday (16/8/2024).
They admitted that the competition posed several challenges, especially since it was their first time participating in such an event. Aisyah and Syakira both confessed to feeling nervous during their presentation.
“This presentation was a new experience for us. Since it was our first time presenting in a competition, we were quite nervous,” Aisyah said.
Syakira further added that their paper utilized a quantitative method, which is rarely used in IR studies.
“We found this competition really challenging, even in the process of writing the paper. Mr. Galan guided us to use a quantitative method, which we don’t usually employ in our classes,” Syakira added.
In the final interview, both students expressed their openness and desire to participate in similar scientific writing competitions in the future. “Personally, I’d love to join another competition like this. It’s a great opportunity to improve on the feedback we received and enhance my skills,” Aisyah said.
Septyanto Galan Prakoso, S.I.P., M.Sc., who mentored the students during the competition, confirmed their dedication. He also emphasized the importance of novelty in their research, which contributed to their victory.
“We provided guidance on both the content and the methodology. We also focused on highlighting the novelty aspect of their research, which, Alhamdulillah, was appreciated by the judges,” Galan said.
This emphasis on innovation was a key factor in Aisyah and Syakira’s success in the competition. Finally, Septyanto Galan expressed his appreciation for Aisyah and Syakira’s efforts and reiterated the commitment of the IR Study Program to supporting students in achieving academic excellence.
HUMAS UNS
Editor: Dwi Hastuti
