University Students' AI-Powered Innovations Praised by VP Gibran

RRI.CO.ID, Salatiga – Various innovative works developed by students at Satya Wacana Christian University (UKSW) in Salatiga, Central Java, were displayed at an event on Monday, 26 January 2026. As Indonesia's Vice President, Gibran Rakabuming Raka visited the display, he seemed interested in those innovations, including artificial intelligence (AI)-powered agricultural ones.

The university students showcased their projects at the talk show "New Direction of the National Development", featuring Gibran as the keynote speaker. According to the  Vice Presidential office secretariat, these include digital public service and social entrepreneurship products.

"These products include environmentally friendly technological innovations from the Faculty of Science and Mathematics, the development of digital public service applications from the Faculty of Information Technology, and social entrepreneurship products from the Faculty of Economics and Business," the secretariat stated in a statement on Monday.

Gibran specifically commended the university students’ works during the talk show. One example is UKSW students' award-winning innovation combining robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) for agricultural needs.

The innovation, called PEST-PREDICT, can monitor temperature, humidity, and light using intelligent algorithms, much like a plant incubator, to maintain optimal conditions before planting in open fields. The multidisciplinary innovation has won gold at the Global Youth Invention and Innovation Fair (GYIIF) 2026.

"We must commend UKSW for consistently sending its students abroad to participate in competitions like this," Gibran stated.

Moreover, Gibran also said active participation of Indonesian students in global events is proof of the young generation's ability to compete and contribute to the nation's progress. According to him, technologies such as artificial intelligence in agriculture not only increase productivity but also open up opportunities for the younger generation to focus on the food sector.

"This is how we can stop being a market. We must be adaptive, innovative, and have clear innovations that have an impact on the agricultural sector," Gibran conveyed.

Another innovation showcased is a search-and-rescue robot designed for post-earthquake evacuation. It was designed by the university's Robotics Research Center (R2C).

"This (robot) is for disaster response rescue. It can reach earthquake victims through broken floors and through narrow spaces," a student said, as monitored from the Vice Presidential Secretariat's social media.

UKSW is the third Indonesian private university with the most outstanding students, according to the National Achievement Center of the central government. The university is also among the top 15 private universities in Indonesia, according to Times Higher Education's World University Rankings 2025.