A student team from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has once again made the university proud with a notable national achievement. This time, Panji Dewandaru (Engineering Physics), Petrus Kurniawan (Nuclear Engineering), and Teddy Prasetyo (Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture) won first place in the Student Debate Competition organized by the Indonesia Petroleum Association (IPA).
The competition was held on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at ICE BSD City, coinciding with the annual energy forum, the 49th IPA Convex 2025.
Raising key issues surrounding national energy, the debate competition adopted the theme The Oil and Gas Industry and National Energy Transition.
Throughout the competition, the team demonstrated strong argumentative abilities and sharp critical analysis, whether in the pro or contra positions.
In the final round, they secured victory by arguing for reallocating fossil fuel subsidies to renewable energy development.
“Our final opponents were a formidable team from PEM Akamigas. Fortunately, we were well-prepared with various references that we had studied in advance. Alhamdulillah, we managed to come out on top,” said Panji Dewandaru, recounting the competition.
Dewandaru is no stranger to this event.
The previous year, he reached the final stage and earned 1st runner-up.
Returning to the 2025 edition with greater maturity and experience, he successfully led the UGM team to claim the championship title.
In addition to excelling in the debate, he was also selected as one of UGM’s delegates to present in the scientific session of IPA Convex.
He delivered a presentation titled “Development of a Predictive Wireless Sensor Network for Real-time Hazardous Gas Monitoring in Confined Spaces in the Oil and Gas Industry.”
In this research, he and his team developed a gas monitoring system using a Wireless Sensor Network based on ESP32 and a predictive model powered by XGBoost.
The system is designed for rapid hazard detection, operates on low power, and can be integrated into existing safety systems within the industry.
“For us, it was a highly eye-opening experience that gave us a lot of valuable exposure,” said another team member, Petrus Kurniawan.
According to him, the team’s success is a tangible testament to the spirit of UGM students in responding to current challenges and contributing through critical ideas in national forums.
Their achievement also strengthens UGM’s position as a university committed to producing future leaders with global competitiveness.
Author: Bolivia Rahmawati
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna