HUMAS USU – Students from Universitas Sumatera Utara successfully secured first, second, and third place in the Innovative Social Ideas Competition (KGSI), themed “Empowering Education in the Digital Era.” The competition was organized by Narasi, the Australian Embassy in Indonesia, and USU on Wednesday (13/05/2026) at the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) USU, Medan.

Before the winners were selected, the competition featured eight finalists (Top 8), consisting of students from USU, Universitas HKBP Nommensen Pematangsiantar, Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara, Universitas Medan Area, and Universitas Katolik Santo Thomas.

The winners were:

1. First Place: Aura Savinka Balqis, English Literature student at USU, Class of 2022.
2. Second Place: M. Ghozi Muzzaki, Food Technology student at USU, Class of 2023.
3. Third Place: Nur Syafika, Law student at USU, Class of 2025.

Aura introduced a program titled Digital Learning Companion: AI Literacy and Fact-Checking Microclass. The microclass aims to help students use artificial intelligence critically, ethically, and responsibly through four main programs: Credible Sources, Fact-Checking, Responsible AI Use, and Digital Ethics.

“This program is expected to improve students’ digital literacy amid the rapid development of technology,” she said on Saturday (16/5/2026).

Furthermore, Aura explained that students would learn how to identify credible sources, verify claims, use AI as a learning assistant, and understand academic integrity, including plagiarism awareness. Currently, the pilot program has only been tested on 30 English Literature students at USU.

“The microclass will initially be tested on 30 new students from the English Literature Department at USU before being expanded to all new students at USU and universities across Medan,” she explained.

Aura stated that the program was inspired by her concerns about issues relevant to student life that have not received sufficient attention on campus or in Medan.

“Let’s pay attention to the problems around us and take action, starting from the smallest realistic steps,” she encouraged fellow students.

The judging panel for the event included Najwa Shihab, Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Rod Brazier, and Vice Rector for Academic, Student Affairs, and Alumni Affairs of USU, Prof. Dr. Poppy Anjelisa Z. Hasibuan, S.Si., M.Si., Apt.