IPB University Students Experience Competing in International Competitions in Turkey, New York, Vietnam
M. Ficky Haris Ardiansyah, an IPB University student from the Department of Statistics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), shares his experience of successfully getting opportunities to participate in various international events and competitions. In the last two years, he has travelled to Turkey, New York, and Vietnam.
“My motivation in seeking international experience is actually because I come from a village, so I want to develop, get to know many people from various countries, add new perspectives, improve my portfolio, and hone my English and public speaking skills,” said Ficky.
In March 2022, he had the opportunity to attend the Istanbul Youth Leaders Summit in Turkey. During the conference, he also won the Best Paper award, outperforming students from other universities from various countries.
In 2023, he had the opportunity to participate in the Model United Nation (MUN) in New York, USA. This prestigious international event is a simulation of activities carried out by representatives of countries in the United Nations (UN).
Ficky Haris Ardiansyah successfully competed as one of 500 students selected to represent Indonesia in this activity. He had the opportunity to learn about diplomatic relations, global issues, and get to know more about organisations under the UN.
“In this golden opportunity, I was able to deliver a speech on the topic of climate change in the United Arab Emirates and propose to the UN to focus more on technology to anticipate refugees due to climate change,” he explained.
Ficky did not waste the 10 days in the United States. She used it to expand her network. For example, Ficky had the opportunity to intern at the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in New York and get to know the diplomats there.
Not only that, Ficky was also invited to be a guest speaker at Voice of America for a talk show session with VOA Biojournalist Naratama Rukmananda. He also had the opportunity to meet the daughter of the former Rector of IPB University, Prof Andi Hakim Nasution, Marlina Nasution who is the Director of Biostatistics PAREXEL and even visited the home of Prof Juhaeri Muchtar, Vice President and Head, Global Safety Sciences Sanofi in New Jersey.
Meanwhile, in May 2023, he attended The International Conference on Global Issues, Trends, and Directions Across Disciplines (ICGD) at Hoa Sen University in Vietnam for five days. In addition to learning diplomacy and attending conferences, he took the time to visit Cambodia.
Long before participating in these activities, Ficky had already planned carefully since becoming a new student in 2020. He has learnt to write essays, actively discussed with IPB University lecturers, honed his public speaking skills and looked for relationships and funding sponsors.
“No less important is to prepare mentally, because especially in America I have to be able to survive on my own,” he continued.
He explained, “I got a very extraordinary experience because the atmosphere is very different from Indonesia. My opinion is highly valued when discussing with students and lecturers abroad so that I finally dare to speak up and explore to open up new perspectives,” said Ficky.
He plans to continue his postgraduate studies abroad to explore his potential. After returning home, he promises to devote his knowledge to the community and increase the achievements of Indonesian students.
“Students as agents of change and bearers of the nation’s mandate to develop the country should not waste the opportunity to explore the world, we must continue to improve our abilities because in the end the knowledge we get is intended for the progress of the nation and state,” he said. (MW) (IAAS/RUM)
