YOGYAKARTA, January 2, 2026 – The Language Training Center of Mercu Buana University Yogyakarta (UMBY) successfully held a National English Public Speaking Competition for high school/vocational school students. This online event was part of the 39th anniversary celebrations of UMBY and served as a platform to strengthen literacy and communication skills among the younger generation in the era of artificial intelligence (AI).
With the theme “Smart Minds in a Digital World: Learning with AI, Living with Literacy,” this competition not only tested the participants' public speaking skills but also encouraged them to reflect on the role of AI, which must go hand in hand with human literacy values.
The head of the organizing committee, Dangin, S.Pd., M.Hum., explained that this competition was designed as an educational space for Generation Z to hone their critical thinking and global communication skills.
"The 2025 UMBY Public Speaking Competition is expected to spark enthusiasm among students throughout Indonesia to continue improving their communication skills. In the future, English language proficiency will no longer be a mere bonus, but a fundamental requirement for international collaboration," he said on Monday (12/29/2025).
A similar sentiment was expressed by the Head of the UMBY Academic Bureau, Elysa Hartati, S.Pd., M.Pd., in her opening remarks. She emphasized that this competition is an educational mission, not just an event to find winners.
“Through this activity, we want to nurture the younger generation to not only be digitally competent, but also wise and educated in navigating the digital world. We learn with AI, but we still live with strong literacy values,” she said.
The competition series began in November 2025 with 16 schools from various provinces in Indonesia participating. After going through a rigorous selection process, the five best finalists advanced to the final round, which was held online via Zoom Meeting to accommodate participants from outside Java.
Despite being virtual, the finalists appeared confident with sharp arguments and impressive English proficiency.
In the final round, participants were asked to present ideas based on four main pillars, namely education, economy, social, and health.
The topics covered included academic ethics in the AI era, human creativity in the creator economy, media literacy to combat disinformation, and mental health in an increasingly connected world.

The judging panel consisted of three competent judges: Agustinus Hary Setyawan, S.Pd., M.A. (Deputy Dean of FKIP UMBY), Dr. Yuli Widiana, M.Hum. (Widya Mandala Catholic University Surabaya), and Pramugara Robby Yana, M.Pd. (PGRI University Yogyakarta).
The final round, held on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, was intense. In addition to presentations, participants also had to go through a question and answer session that tested their depth of understanding of the material and their ability to think spontaneously in English.
The final results placed Celine Livina Rusli from SMA Ignatius Global School Palembang as the First Winner. She was considered superior in articulation, virtual stage mastery, and her ability to answer the judges' questions logically and solution-oriented. This achievement also shows that public speaking talents from outside Java are able to compete at the national level.
Second place was won by Muhammad Dien Royyan Fatahillah from CT ARSA Foundation High School in Sukoharjo, followed by Jason Anugrah Palobo from SMAN 1 Toraja Utara, South Sulawesi, as third place. Meanwhile, fourth and fifth place were taken by Khafifah Marwa Ramadhani (SMA Negeri 1 Bekasi) and Felix Al-Hafidz Syahlan (SMA Negeri 5 Tambun Selatan), respectively.
Muhammad Dien Royyan Fatahillah admitted that this competition provided valuable experience as a space for self-expression and evaluation. He feels motivated to continue improving himself, especially in public speaking.
Meanwhile, Jason Anugrah Palobo considered this competition to require courage and critical thinking skills. He even hoped to continue his studies at UMBY someday.
“The competition was cool and the participants were extraordinary. We were challenged to be brave and critical in looking at issues. Hopefully, UMBY will continue to progress, and who knows, maybe I can study here in the future,” he explained.

G.SunArdhie