Central Jakarta, March 28, 2026 — Another proud achievement has been earned by students of the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) Universitas Indonesia (UI). Two undergraduate Public Health students from the 2023 cohort, Ayesha Daanii Nayyara and Dhaifullah Abyan, together with their colleague from the University of Malaya, Afifah Zahwah Nuryana, won Second Place in the prestigious “Sustainable Livestock Transformation Research and Innovation Competition for Young Scientists” organized by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
This prestigious competition was an integral part of the International Strategic Meeting on Scientific Pathways for Sustainable Livestock Industry Transformation: Collaborative Solution for Global Nutrition, Resilience and Economic Growth. The international event, held from March 25–31, 2026, took place at the Sumitro Djojohadikusumo Auditorium, B.J. Habibie Building, Jakarta.
The competition attracted strong enthusiasm from young talents and academics across generations, with participants ranging in age from 18 to 35 years old. It served as a collaborative platform for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students, as well as professional researchers, including active participation from representatives of BRIN. The selection process was highly competitive; out of 130 papers submitted in the initial stage, only 10 outstanding works advanced to the final round. The finalists were then given the exclusive opportunity to present their innovations directly before an international panel of judges during the presentation session held on March 28, 2026.
In the competition, the FPH UI team presented an innovation entitled “Smart BSF-Nexus: AI-Driven Industrial Symbiosis Platform for Circular Feed Supply Chain and AMR Mitigation.” The innovation is an artificial intelligence (AI)-based platform designed to address livestock feed supply chain challenges while simultaneously tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The team highlighted a public health perspective, emphasizing that AMR stems not only from medication use but also from the food, livestock, and agricultural sectors. Through a circular economy approach, the system utilizes Black Soldier Fly (BSF) technology to process animal waste into valuable products such as fertilizer and animal feed, while also helping degrade harmful pathogens.
Competing in an environment dominated by multidisciplinary experts presented its own challenge for the FPH UI team. Given that their academic backgrounds were not rooted in livestock science, the team had to work hard to identify connections between livestock issues and public health perspectives.
Abyan admitted that the team initially felt pressure when facing such a highly specialized competition. “At first, we were quite nervous because the competition was highly technical and closely related to the livestock industry, while our field of study is different. However, we tried to approach it from another perspective and looked for ways to comprehensively integrate the issue with public health,” he explained.
Nevertheless, the experience became a valuable moment for the team. They also had the opportunity to interact with various international figures attending the forum. “One of the most memorable moments was meeting international speakers, including the Indonesian ambassador and senior officials from the WHO,” he added.
The team hopes that their innovation can continue to be refined and open broader opportunities for global collaboration. They also shared an inspiring message for fellow students.
“We hope there will be more opportunities like this in the future, allowing students to continue growing and developing. For FPH students, never limit yourselves, because everyone has the potential to participate in international competitions,” concluded Ayesha.
The Dean of FPH UI, Prof. Dr. Indri Hapsari Susilowati, S.K.M., M.K.K.K., expressed appreciation for the achievement. “This accomplishment demonstrates that FPH UI students are capable of competing at the international level by bringing public health perspectives to address complex global issues such as AMR and sustainable food systems. We hope this achievement can inspire others and encourage the emergence of more collaborative innovations with broad societal impact,” she stated.
This innovation, born from interdisciplinary collaboration, reflects the standard of excellence upheld at FPH UI. Through the strengthening of global partnership networks, the faculty continues to encourage active student involvement in developing public health solutions that are adaptive to global dynamics. (SHF)