Jakarta – Civitas akademika Universitas Nusa Cendana (Undana) patut berbangga. Pasalnya, 5 mahasiswa Program Studi (Prodi) Ilmu Komunikasi, Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Politik (FISIP) berhasil mengharumkan nama Undana dengan memenangkan kompetisi Saring Daring University Challenge (U-Challenge). Kompetisi itu digelar oleh United States Agency for International Development (USAID) bersama kedua mitra, yakni Meta dan Love Frankie pada Pelaksanaan National Summit Sharing Daring U-Challenge yang berlangsung 5 – 7 Oktober 2023 di Jakarta.
The Undana team is acclaimed for producing the best video on digital literacy. According to a press release from the U.S. Embassy received by Undana's Public Relations on Friday, October 6, 2023, the U-Challenge event involved nearly 200 students from six universities in Indonesia.
This competition harnessed the creativity and enthusiasm of Indonesia's youth to promote digital literacy, critical thinking, and positive online messaging through 90-second videos.
The five members of the "Penerus Bangsa" team, who are all 5th-semester students from the Communication Science Program (Jikom) at Undana, are Christabella Nelani Amu, Joseph Christian Vivaldy Sunti, Florensi S. Bero, Clearesta Dava Fiorenza, and Jericson Angelbeth Putra Metkono.
Mereka mewakili Undana ke tahap National Summit U-Challenge Indonesia di Jakarta, bersaing dengan 5 universitas lainnya di Indonesia, antara lain: Universitas Airlangga (Surabaya), Universitas Sriwijaya (Palembang), Universitas Multimedia Nusantara (Tanggerang), Universitas Mulawarman (Samarinda), Universitas Tanjungpura (pontianak).
The Undana team is mentioned to have created two videos that effectively illustrate the importance of critical thinking and digital privacy.
The journey of these students in developing creative content that educates the Indonesian community about best practices for staying safe in the digital space and practicing responsible digital citizenship is celebrated by representatives from USAID, Meta, industry mentors, and six partner universities from various locations in Indonesia who gathered during Saring Daring U-Challenge National Summit.
"The United States is proud to support creative young individuals in Indonesia in developing an open, inclusive, and safe digital ecosystem," said Jeff Cohen, Director of USAID Indonesia.
“Program Saring Daring University Challenge demonstrates that when young people are equipped with the right tools, they will develop extraordinary ideas and solutions," Jeff continued.
The students shared their experiences of working with industry mentors, the valuable lessons they learned, and the importance of educating their networks on various topics such as cultivating a positive online space, promoting digital democracy, protecting personal data, and using critical thinking to navigate misinformation in the digital realm.
"At Meta, we always listen, learn, and draw inspiration from the local community. We are delighted to see so much creativity from the young participants who took part in this program," said Dessy Septiane Sukendar, Policy Program Manager at Meta Indonesia.
"I would like to congratulate all the winners of Saring Daring Challengeand express appreciation to all participants for their wise and enthusiastic participation. We celebrate the creativity that brings to life our vision of digital citizenship, making our online space safe and comfortable," she added.
For your information, the winning team received initial funding to support the creation of additional content that will promote a positive online space in their community. Through the U-Challenge program, USAID, Meta, and Love Frankie continue to build the skills of Indonesia's young generation to become competent and informed citizens in the digital era. (Press release/rfl)
