Saturday (22/6), the Faculty of Geography at Muhammadiyah Surakarta University hosted the National Earth Science Olympiad 2024. This impressive event featured high school students from West Java, Central Java, East Java, and Yogyakarta. The Olympiad had two main categories: the Earth Science Writing Competition and Earth Intelligence.
In his speech, Dean of the Faculty of Geography, Jumadi, Ph.D., emphasized the importance of this event for promoting earth science. “Earth science is crucial for Indonesia, which has diverse natural resources, vast coastal areas, and unique resources. We need geographers to manage these assets effectively,” he said. Jumadi also noted that proper management would allow us to benefit from these resources.
Jumadi highlighted that the primary goal of the event is to identify the best students in earth science. “We have significant geothermal potential that hasn’t been well managed. If we utilize it effectively, we can do so in an environmentally friendly manner. Currently, we only manage about 9 percent of it,” he explained.
The chairman of the event, Afif Ari Wibowo, M.Sc., mentioned that although similar events have been conducted in previous years, this year’s concept was new. He expressed hope that this event would become an annual program and encouraged teachers to prepare their students for future participation.
The first place in the Earth Intelligence category was awarded to SMA N 4 Surakarta, with SMA N 7 Surakarta and MAN Demak taking second and third place, respectively. Additionally, SMAN 1 Muntilan’s Smapong GEN Team secured the 1st runner-up position, and their Smapong ACE Team earned the 2nd runner-up spot.
In the Earth Science Writing Competition, the first place went to SMA Kolese De Brito Sleman, followed by SMAN 2 Madiun in second place and SMAN 1 Banjarnegara in third. SMAN 2 Pemalang’s Biopark Team and Alpend Team were awarded the 1st and 2nd runner-up positions, respectively.
At the end of the event, each participant received a souvenir, such as tree seeds like avocado, matoa, jackfruit, and pete, symbolizing a commitment to environmental and nature conservation.