A team of students from the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), achieved first place in the Essay Competition organized by UPN “Veteran” Jakarta. The team’s essay, titled “The Surakarta Empowerment Movement: A Gen Z Initiative with Darikita.Surakarta Toward Sustainable Policy,” stood out among the finalists and led them to victory in the virtual competition.

The FEB UNS team, led by Kenan Safara Nugroho from the Undergraduate Digital Business Program, included Oryza Sativa Heavenia from the same program and Aulia Herawati Rahma Putri from the Undergraduate Accounting Program as team members. Competing in the final round, they successfully outperformed nine other teams representing various leading institutions, including two teams from UPN “Veteran” Jakarta, two teams from Universitas Indonesia, and one team each from Universitas Airlangga, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Institut Pertanian Bogor, Universitas Brawijaya, and the STAN Polytechnic of State Finance.

The competition, which took place on October 27, 2024, with winners announced on November 2, 2024, aimed to encourage young generations—particularly Gen Z—to be more aware and proactive regarding public issues. Under the theme “Proactive Participation of Gen Z in Public Policy Formation,” participants were challenged to express their ideas, critiques, and constructive arguments in essay form. This theme is highly relevant as it encourages students, as part of Gen Z, to take an active role in public policy discussions that are often perceived as distant from daily life.

Aulia Herawati Rahma Putri explained that their team focused on how Gen Z can contribute to policy development through concrete actions. “Our team chose the theme because we believe that before formulating a policy, there must be a concrete action as precedence. That is why we highlighted Darikita.Surakarta, a movement that we integrated with empowerment policies already in place in Surakarta,” she stated in an interview with feb.uns.ac.id.

The FEB UNS team was confident in their approach, as their idea was not merely theoretical but had already been implemented in real-world initiatives. Their hands-on experience in the field allowed them to gain deeper insights into the issues presented in the competition case study. In preparation for the competition, the team conducted in-depth research on public policy, focusing on topics relevant to Gen Z’s role in governance and community empowerment. They also engaged in small group discussions to refine their ideas before incorporating them into the essay. Additionally, they reviewed various literature sources and followed policy-related news in the media to strengthen their arguments and broaden their perspectives.

“One of the most memorable moments was presenting in front of the judging panel. We were nervous at first, but once we managed to convey our ideas smoothly and received positive feedback from the judges, it felt truly rewarding. Alhamdulillah, we were able to bring pride to FEB UNS by winning first place,” Aulia expressed enthusiastically.

Do not to hesitate to participate in any challenge, competitions like this provide opportunities to expand knowledge, develop new perspectives, and build connections with students from various universities. Take the opportunity and never be afraid to try!