Students of the University of Riau achieved remarkable success at the 2nd International Student Competition in Collaboration with the Centre of Entrepreneurial Development and Graduate Marketability (CEM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In this international competition, the University of Riau delegation secured multiple prestigious awards, including Grand Champion, 3rd Winner, Gold Medal in the Law & Economics subtheme, Silver Medal in the Health subtheme, Bronze Medal in the Agriculture subtheme, as well as the Best Paper award. These achievements were earned by four students from the 2022 cohort: Abel Hasti Ramadhani (Information Systems), Chairil Randy Nurrahman (Economics), Ebel Vigrajuska Asri (Management), and Hanny Sc Va (Agricultural Industrial Technology), who presented multidisciplinary innovations with tangible societal impact.
One of the featured innovations was RESILIFERT, an environmentally friendly liquid organic fertilizer made from cattle urine and oil palm empty fruit bunches, processed through anaerobic fermentation. This innovation aims to enhance horticultural crop productivity while supporting low-emission agricultural practices. Cattle urine, which is rich in ammonia, plant growth regulators (PGR), and essential macronutrients (NPK), along with abundant oil palm empty fruit bunch waste in Riau Province—one of Indonesia’s largest palm oil producing regions—are transformed into a value-added product that is affordable, high-quality, and can be independently produced by farmers.
In addition, the team introduced BRANOVA, an end-to-end platform powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI Matching & Smart Builder), designed to help small businesses grow and undergo digital transformation. The platform not only enables business owners to scale up their enterprises but also creates job opportunities for freelancers as mentors and service providers, thereby contributing to the expansion of employment in the non-formal sector.
Another innovation, NicNo, is a hard candy product made from ironweed (Vernonia cinerea) extract and stevia, developed as an alternative to help young people reduce smoking dependence. The product is integrated with the SoNic (Sobat NicNo) application, which utilizes a reward-based system. Users can scan the barcode on the packaging to earn points that can be redeemed for e-wallet balance. Through this innovative approach, quitting smoking is expected to be seen not as a burden, but as a more enjoyable and motivating process. This achievement demonstrates that the creativity and interdisciplinary collaboration of Indonesian students are capable of competing and gaining recognition at the international level.
