The Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), successfully organized Smart Agriculture Champion 2025, participated in by students from various universities in Indonesia and Malaysia. The competition consisted of essay, poster, and entertainment categories, including the Best Booth Award, with a total of 25 participants.
Vice Dean I of the Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Lisnawita, expressed her appreciation for the enthusiastic response from participants.
“This year we received great enthusiasm, with participants from USU, IPB, UGM, Pancabudi, SMK Kehutanan Pekanbaru, and even UPM Malaysia. We hope that next year, even more participants will join, both domestically and internationally. Becoming a winner is not the end but the beginning of greater achievements. Those who didn’t win have already succeeded by daring to create,” said Prof. Lisnawita.
From the UPM side, Prof. Nur Ain emphasized the importance of this competition for student development.
“This activity strengthens the relationship between USU and UPM, while providing opportunities for students to apply their knowledge beyond classroom theory. Hopefully, this collaboration will continue,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ms. Aristya Tri Rahayu, representing Conservation International as the Sundaland Communications Coordinator, expressed her joy in once again becoming a partner in this event.
“We believe collaboration with universities and various stakeholders is essential. The Smart Agriculture Champion is interesting because it presents student ideas that we hope can benefit society,” stated Ms. Aristya.
At the end of the event, the winners were announced.
For the Essay Category, the first prize went to Ikhsan Muttaqin and Hesti Indriani (IPB); second prize to Aidil Faalih Lubis and Nabilah Alwani Lubis (USU Faculty of Agriculture); and third prize to Nur Alya Hanan Binti Ahmad Borhan and Shafikah Binti Zainal Efendy (UPM).
The consolation prizes were awarded to Emmanuel Parnadilan Sitanggang and Filbert Wenardi (USU Faculty of Agriculture) for first place, Satria Samudra Yohanes, Ardha Nurrizky Barus, and Febry Ardianta Kaban (USU Faculty of Agriculture) for second place, and Noor Ainatul Basyirah Binti Mohd Poad and Aisy Damya Iqlyma Binti Salmy (UPM) for third place.
In the Poster Category, the first prize went to Ananda Pratama Panggabean (USU Faculty of Engineering), the second prize to Pebri Adi Zebua (USU Faculty of Engineering), and the third prize to Kasih Hazura Binti Mohd Iskandar (UPM).
Consolation prizes were awarded to Nurnadia Zulaika Binti Yussof (UPM) for first place, Najihah Mohd Basrin (UPM) for second place, and Nur Shafikah Binti Zainal Efendy (UPM) for third place.
In addition, the committee also presented special awards for the best booths:
Most Productive Booth: Agribusiness Study Program
Most Innovative Booth: UKM Himadita Nursery
Most Attractive Booth: Aquatic Resources Management Study Program
The winners received coaching funds and e-certificates as a form of appreciation for their dedication, creativity, and innovation throughout the competition.
Through Smart Agriculture Champion 2025, the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sumatera Utara, hopes this event will serve as a platform for the birth of innovative student ideas to address modern agricultural challenges. The event is also expected to foster cross-university collaboration, both nationally and internationally, so that students’ ideas and innovations can continue to develop and bring real benefits to society and the advancement of sustainable agriculture.