Wednesday, 21 May 2025 — Teddy Prasetyo, a student from the Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada, achieved first place in the Student Debate Competition held as part of the 49th Indonesian Petroleum Association Convention and Exhibition (IPA Convex 2025).
The competition took place at Indonesia Convention Exhibition, BSD City Tangerang. This event is one of the most prestigious energy forums in Southeast Asia, serving as a platform for young generations to exchange ideas and find solutions to future energy challenges.
In the contest, Teddy collaborated with two students from UGM’s Faculty of Engineering: Petrus Kurniawan from the Nuclear Engineering Study Program and Panji Dewandaru from Physics Engineering. Together they formed the Gadjah Mada Debate Team. They managed to top the competition, beating 36 other teams from prominent universities across Indonesia, including Universitas Indonesia, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Universitas Pertamina, STT Migas Balikpapan, and PEM Akamigas.
Their debate theme was “Energy Transition for a Quality Future for Indonesia”, and the format used was Asian Modified Parliamentary. Each team was required to critically examine key issues in the energy sector, such as the transition to clean energy, the national energy mix, and the vital role of the oil & gas industry in supporting net-zero emissions goals. The competition tested not only public speaking skills, but also deep interdisciplinary understanding, including economic, technological, and public policy aspects.
In the final round, the UGM team faced a tough opponent from PEM Akamigas, which had earlier beaten ITB in the semifinals. The match was very competitive, with strong and in-depth arguments. However, the Gadjah Mada Debate Team prevailed thanks to thorough preparation and comprehensive understanding of the various energy issues discussed.
Teddy’s role brought a unique element by bringing in perspectives from agriculture and environment into discussions that are usually dominated by technical and industrial viewpoints. According to Teddy, agriculture students need to be more present in energy policy discussions, because energy issues directly affect many aspects of rural life, such as electricity access, energy subsidies, and processing of agricultural produce.
As part of Youth @ IPA Convex, the Student Debate Competition is one of the important venues encouraging young people to exchange ideas and debate about Indonesia’s energy future. The program is not just about competition, but also about shaping young leaders who can face energy challenges with creative and sustainable solutions, using cross-disciplinary approaches. Through this debate, participants are invited to explore various perspectives and broaden their understanding of complex energy issues.
The shining achievement by Teddy and his team shows that they have high capacity to compete in national and global strategic issues. Their success is also a tangible support of achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
Author: Mareta Aulia Putri
Editor: Yudha Pria Wibawa
Photo: Department of Agronomy