UNAIR NEWS – A team of students from Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) recently claimed First Place in the international USK Global Award on Disaster Resilience (U-DARE) 2.0 competition. The winning team, comprising Humaidah Dwi Rahmayanti, Amiroh Untsal Asad, and Rhein Sasi Kirana from the Faculty of Psychology, took the top award in the Popular Scientific Papers on Disaster category. Their victory was announced at Syiah Kuala University in Banda Aceh on Sunday, October 20, 2024.
U-DARE is a significant international competition that attracted more than 25 teams from countries including Thailand, Japan, and Malaysia. “The USK Global Award on Disaster Resilience highlights disaster resilience initiatives. For this event, we developed TAPAK ACEH, a digital game app designed to promote psychological preparedness and empower young people to contribute to sustainable recovery efforts after the 2004 tsunami,” said Rahmayanti.
Addressing disaster preparedness from psychological perspective
Rahmayanti explained that her motivation for participating in the competition stemmed from a desire to test her skills in a challenging environment. She noted that while disaster preparedness is often viewed through the lens of logistics and technical support, psychological readiness is frequently overlooked. “However, psychological preparedness is crucial for reducing panic and improving quick, sound decision-making,” she explained.
As participants in an international event, Rahmayanti and her team were also challenged to hone their foreign language skills, as they interacted with judges and speakers from different countries. “Throughout the process, we conducted extensive literature reviews, carefully analyzed the information to create a new innovation and an effective solution, and regularly consulted our academic advisors for feedback. We also practiced formulating potential questions in English and, of course, prayed,” she said.
Strength in mother’s prayer
Rahmayanti shared that the team name, Sekuat Doa Ibu (As Strong as a Mother’s Prayer), reflects the power they draw from a mother’s unwavering support. The unique name even received positive comments from the judges. “Every time our team name was announced, it caught people’s attention. During the Q&A session of our presentation, the first question from the judges was about the meaning behind our name. When we won, the MC highlighted our team name, saying it truly embodied the strength of a mother’s prayer,” recalled the seventh-semester student.
Author: Febriana Putri Nur Aziizah
Editor : Edwin Fatahuddin
