Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has once again achieved national recognition. This time, Bendina Morezky, a 2023 cohort student of the Applied English program, won third place in the Public Information Transparency Ambassador Competition organized through a collaboration between the Central Information Commission, East Java Office of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Universitas Airlangga, and Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember.
The Public Information Transparency Ambassador Competition involved a lengthy selection process comprising a written test and a short video production, which began in October, with the final round conducted online on Friday (Dec. 5) at Universitas Brawijaya, Malang.
The final stage, attended by 29 participants from 14 public universities, consisted of three debate sessions. The first and second rounds were group debates with team members drawn from different universities, while the final round was a feasibility assessment. This stage tested participants’ ability to present their opinions on given case studies within a specified time limit.
“The team members came from various universities, and we only met on that very day,” Morezky recounted on Monday (Dec. 8).
She explained that her preparation time was relatively short (about a week), particularly for the debate sessions. Moreover, this was her first experience in such a competition, and she had no background in debating.
“I was really happy because, besides gaining experience in a debate competition, I also met many new friends from different regions. We had fun together, learned about each other’s local languages, and shared stories about the uniqueness of our respective regions,” she said.
She also expressed her hope that the role of Public Information Transparency Ambassadors would not merely become a formality, but would truly serve as a bridge between Information and Documentation Management Officers (PPID) and the public.
“There are still many people, especially students, who do not know what PPID is. With the presence of the National Public Information Transparency Ambassadors from public universities, I hope students will become more familiar with public information services and know where to go when they need information,” she concluded.
Author: Leony
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photograph: Bendina Morezky