UNESHCO (UNY English Competition) is a national English competition for university students held annually by UKM Bahasa Asing “SAFEL” (Student Activity Forum of Foreign Languages), Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) as one of the agendas commemorating Dies Natalis UNY. This event has been organized nine times since 2016. The tenth competition was held on Saturday, May 17th, 2025 in UNY. This year, UNESHCO brings the theme “Ignite the Mind, Move the Heart, Shape the Future”. Through this theme, we hope that participants will have the courage to think boldly and be able to apply brilliant ideas that not only stimulate the mind, but also move and touch the hearts of individuals, ultimately shaping a better future. Furthermore, we expect that UNESHCO will be the best platform to deliver their amazing talents, especially in public speaking.
In the UNESHCO #10 Speech Competition, participants go through three rounds: the Preliminary, Semifinal, and Final. The Preliminary Round involves delivering an original informative speech video based on Climate Change and Its Impact on Earth’s Sustainability topic, with specific technical and submission guidelines, and without notes reading. The semifinalist, selected from the top 10 participants, delivered an extemporaneous argumentative speech based on an article and
three related questions provided by the judges. Each participant has 30 minutes to prepare and 3–5 minutes to utter their thoughts regarding the question. With strict rules against external research in mind and a small note allowed for reference. The final features an impromptu persuasive speech, where the top 6 finalists watch a video related to the theme, prepare for 30 minutes, and then speak for 3–5 minutes related to the question within the video, followed by a Q&A session with judges proximally for 7 minutes. Participants are closely monitored to ensure originality and compliance with the time limits, and winners are announced at the closing ceremony.
The UNESHCO Microteaching Competition aims to enhance the teaching skills of Indonesian university students using English as the medium of instruction. Participants must submit a lesson plan for Elementary, Junior or High school students by May 9th, 2025, following Curriculum Merdeka and meeting specific criteria. The Top 10 finalists, announced on May 11th, 2025, will deliver their lesson plans in a 30-minute performance, with strict adherence to competition rules and assessment criteria. Participants have to pay registration’s fee before submitting their lesson plans. After the finalist announcement, the finalists have to pay a commitment fee before May 14th, 2025. Also, the winners of microteaching will be announced at the closing ceremony.
The UNESHCO Essay Writing & Presentation Competition is a group-based competition designed to challenge participants in creating engaging essays and creative presentations in English based on the provided theme. This competition requires a combination of logical thinking, analytical skills, and innovative expression to achieve success. The event consists of two stages: the preliminary round, where participants will submit their essays, and the final round, where selected finalists will present their works live by using PPT. The final round was held offline at the Faculty of Language, Arts, and Culture, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), Yogyakarta.
The winner of the speech competition is Nicky Adhe Pamungkas from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, followed by 2nd place Devin Johanda from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, and Ilham Yusuf Maulana from Universitas Pembangunan Negeri Veteran Yogyakarta as 3rd place. The 4th place is Lintang Acantya Naraiswari Rahman from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, followed by 5th place is Afifudin Baliya from Universitas Gadjah Mada, also the 6th place is Bilqis Ariqa Karima from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta.
For the winner of the Microteaching is Griseldies Angie Marcella from Universitas Sanata Dharma Yogyakarta, the 2nd place is Dwi Rahayu Sonia from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, then followed by Luluk Fitriani from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta as the 3rd place. The 4th place is Ni Luh Eka Setyawati from Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha, followed by the 5th place is Amadhea Putri Rasikah Zaki from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, then the 6th place is Fara Diva Tabitha from Universitas Teknokrat Indonesia.
For the last branch, Essay Writing and Presentation, the winner is from Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, and for the 2nd place is followed by Universitas Bina Nusantara, and for the 3rd place is Universitas Negeri Indonesia.
We want to express our gratitude to all the participants who participated in this event, coming from different places in Indonesia. Your enthusiasm truly contributed to the success of UNESHCO #10. We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the dedicated committee members who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this event possible. Your hard work, commitment, and passion played a significant role to the smooth execution of every competition branch. May our paths cross again at UNESHCO #11!
– Yahdi and Bia –
