A team of students from the Faculty of Economics and Business UGM won 3rd place in the national essay competition Clash of University 2025, organized by the Department of Science and Career Development of BEM FEB UPN Veteran Yogyakarta on June 8, 2025, at the local campus. The FEB UGM students who joined the Urip Golek Makna team consisted of two Management students from batch 202, Azzumaraa Akmalia and Sovalia Intan Asri.
Azzumaraa explained that 38 teams from various universities in Indonesia participated in the competition. Each team submitted an essay titled “Next-Gen Economy: The Role of Students in Digital Disruption and the Future Economy.” The competition then selected the five best teams to advance to the final round and present their essay ideas. These teams represented Gadjah Mada University, Bogor Agricultural University, Padjadjaran University, Pertamina University, and UPN Veteran Yogyakarta.
Azzumara said in this competition that the FEB UGM team raised an important issue related to the low level of digital financial literacy among students and the younger generation amid the rapid development of financial technology such as QRIS, digital wallets, and online investment platforms. Departing from this reality, the team developed the DuitIn application as an interactive, inclusive, and relevant financial learning medium for young people’s digital lifestyle.
Azzumaraa explained that DuitIn offers several features, including financial education materials tailored to users’ age, quizzes, mini-games, expense tracking, budget planning tools, community forums, and consultation services with financial educators.
“The app helps the younger generation understand basic financial concepts, differentiate between legal and illegal products, and avoid the dangers of widespread online loans and fraudulent investments,” she said.
Azzumaraa revealed that the journey to win was full of challenges. One of them was when the final stage of the competition coincided with the end-of-semester exams, so they had to divide their focus between academic activities and competition preparation, including research, preparation of materials, and intensive presentation exercises.
The team’s success was also driven by the strong support from FEB UGM, especially the Career Student Development Unit (CSDU), which provided soft skills training. The training equipped them with essential skills in delivering presentations, preparing scientific citations, and developing leadership and teamwork abilities that proved invaluable throughout the competition.
“We did not expect to win, especially since this is our first competition at UGM. We feel very grateful and satisfied because our hard work paid off. This experience motivates us to continue to grow and participate in other competitions in the future,” he concluded.
Report by: Orie Priscylla Mapeda Lumalan
Editor: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
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