A student of the Accounting Study Program at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM), Aqila Nasyawari Syaikha, has achieved international recognition. She secured five awards at the Global Youth Innovation Summit (GYIS) #14 2026, organized by Pemuda Mendunia from March 2-5 in Singapore and Malaysia.
The Global Youth Innovation Summit is an international forum that brings together young people from diverse backgrounds to collaborate in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition to competitions, the program featured international seminars, academic visits to the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), and a series of cultural and city exploration activities. Within a single competition series, Aqilasha earned Awardee Fully Funded, 1st Place Best Delegate, 1st Place Best Speaker, 1st Place SDGs Project Presentation, and 2nd Place Most Creative Delegate. All these awards were achieved within four days of the event.
Aqila’s participation began after she learned about the program on social media between September and October 2025. The program offered two participation schemes: fully funded and self-funded. Aqila chose the fully funded track, which involved a more competitive selection process.
“From the beginning, I chose the fully funded selection route, which included administrative screening, a national insight test, FGD, and interviews, all conducted in English,” she explained on Monday (May. 4).
She went through a series of selection stages conducted in English, including administrative screening, a national insight test, focus group discussions (FGD), and interviews. In the initial stage, participants were required to submit a CV and motivation letter amid competition with hundreds of applicants. The selection continued with a national insight test covering knowledge of Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia, group discussions based on SDG-related issues, and interviews to assess communication skills and potential contributions.
From this entire process, Aqila was selected as the only participant to receive full funding. Meanwhile, the other participants consisted of 10 partially funded awardees and 10 self-funded participants.
The preparation period, which lasted from November 2025 to February 2026, took Aqila through several important stages, from the preliminary round to mentoring sessions leading up to the final presentation. During mentoring, participants were divided into small groups of three to four members and guided by a mentor. Each team was required to produce three main outputs: a pitch deck, a project introduction video, and an Instagram account as a publication platform. These three components became the primary indicators for evaluation.
“The biggest challenge was developing these three outputs, as delegates also faced significant pressure from mentors to deliver their best work,” Aqila said.
Aqila’s success was driven not only by hard work but also by the way she and her team approached problem-solving. She applied a systematic method by breaking down general issues into more specific solutions, then distributing tasks among team members based on proportional job responsibilities.
Beyond her achievements, Aqila also gained valuable experiences that broadened her perspective. One of them was the opportunity to present her project to judges from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), marking her first direct interaction with international academics. She also used the event to expand her network with participants from various universities across Indonesia.
“Having the opportunity to network with finalists from universities across Indonesia was also a significant benefit of this event,” she said.
The series of activities, including visits to international campuses and cultural exploration, made GYIS #14 not only a competition but also a platform for cross-cultural learning and exchange of perspectives.
Aqila emphasized the importance of valuing the process in achieving success.
“There is no shortcut to success. Everyone has their own journey. What matters most is continuing to grow over time,” she concluded.
Reporter: Dwi Zhafirah Meiliani dan Kurnia Ekaptiningrum/Humas FEB
Author: Zabrina Kumara Putri
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Jasmine Ferdian
Photo: Humas FEB UGM