Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) delivered an outstanding performance at the 2026 National Mathematics and Natural Sciences Olympiad for Higher Education Students (ONMIPA-PT), held at Airlangga University (UNAIR) from June 8-12. The UGM contingent brought home two gold medals, three silver medals, six bronze medals, and two honorable mentions. This achievement also secured UGM second place nationally, behind ITB.
In the Biology category, UGM earned a gold medal through Karina Raihana Salsabila from Biology UGM and a silver medal through Ganang Fattahuddien Attar from the FK-KMK UGM. In Mathematics, Fajar Arif Shodiqin from the FMIPA UGM won a gold medal, while Faiq Pramatya Murdiyanto from FT UGM secured a bronze medal. Aditya Yoga Sadana from FMIPA UGM received an honorable mention.
UGM also excelled in Chemistry, winning two silver medals through M. Asyiq Manarul Hidayah and Rafif Dista Serano, both from FT UGM. Jonathan Aaron Gunawan from FMIPA UGM earned a bronze medal, while Anton Triyono from the same faculty received an honorable mention. In Physics, the UGM contingent brought home four bronze medals through Muhammad Farros Hamka from FT UGM, Muhammad Fajar Maulid, Imaduddin Akmal, and Syamsul Ma’arif from FMIPA UGM.
One member of the UGM contingent and a silver medalist in Chemistry, Asyiq, shared the challenges during the competition. He found it difficult to balance academic responsibilities with competition preparation. The ONMIPA schedule coincided with the first week of final examinations at UGM. As a result, participating students had to miss their regular exams and submit official assignments to take make-up examinations. As a student of FT UGM, he struggled to manage his time amid intensive laboratory sessions and report-writing requirements.
“I usually start working on my lab reports immediately after the practicum ends. Only after completing the reports could I begin preparing for ONMIPA,” he said on Monday (Jun. 22).
Following his silver medal achievement, Asyiq expressed hope of competing again next year and improving his performance by winning a gold medal. He also hopes that UGM can reclaim the overall championship title, considering how close the university came to achieving it this year.
“Hopefully, we can become the overall champion again. We won the title last year, and this year we came close. Next year, we must make it happen,” he said.
Although UGM was unable to defend its overall championship title this year, the result serves as a valuable opportunity for evaluation. Chair of the UGM ONMIPA Community, Noupal Dwi Arfa, stated that the outcome should not be viewed as a sign of defeat, but rather as motivation for both the community and the contingent to improve in the future.
“We need to evaluate where our shortcomings lie, both as a community and as individuals. Every experience is a learning opportunity, and we must continue striving to become better,” he said.
Director of Student Affairs at Universitas Gadjah Mada, Dr. Hempri Suyatna, expressed his appreciation to all members of the UGM ONMIPA contingent for their dedication and contribution to the competition’s success. Despite increasingly intense competition, Hempri expressed gratitude for the contingent’s achievement in securing a top-two national ranking. The accomplishment demonstrates UGM’s role as a benchmark in ONMIPA competitions.
“We hope this competition will help us sustain our achievements, enabling even better results next year while producing young scientists who are greatly needed for the advancement of science and technology in Indonesia,” he said.
The achievements at ONMIPA-PT 2026 demonstrate Universitas Gadjah Mada’s continued commitment to nurturing and developing outstanding talent through its experienced faculty advisors and the UGM ONMIPA Community.
Author: Fatihah Salwa Rasyid
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Jasmine Ferdian
Photo: UGM Team Documentation