The series of activities on the second day of CODEFEST 2 – Hackathon 2026 on February 6, 2026, opened with an International webinar conducted online, involving a number of partner universities, including STEKOM University. The webinar served as an academic forum to strengthen cross-institutional collaboration and share perspectives on competency development in the era of digital transformation.
On that occasion, Unang Achlison, M.Sc., serving as the Dean of the Faculty of Vocational Studies at STEKOM University, was present as a speaker. He emphasized the importance of synergy between vocational education and technological advancement in preparing students to adapt to the progress of artificial intelligence, automation, and various forms of global Industrial disruption.
Wrapping up the webinar session, students from STEKOM University participated in an International Youth Conference together with students from Arunai College of Engineering. In that forum, Azka Nahya Amanta (Bachelor of Computer Systems) raised the topic of the correlation between the use of artificial intelligence and the potential decline in student performance when technology is not utilized wisely. She affirmed that Artificial Intelligence (AI) must be positioned as a learning support tool, not as a replacement for critical thinking processes.
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Andika Dwi Saputra (Bachelor of Informatics Engineering) invited participants to think out of the box in facing the challenges of the digital era and emphasized that innovation is born from the courage to view problems from a different perspective. Meanwhile, Zalfa Gita Salsabila (Bachelor of Management) highlighted the importance of diversity, cross-cultural communication, and self-confidence in public speaking as key competencies for the younger generation in International forums. All three students received an enthusiastic response from Arunai students.
Following the conference session, an awards ceremony was also held for the best students from each of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Departments as a form of appreciation for their active contributions throughout the event, including in the process of creating and developing robotic projects that had been worked on during the first day. The awards served as recognition of the students' creativity, teamwork, and dedication in developing technology-based innovations.
Subsequently, the hackathon competition resumed at 10:00 local time in the computer laboratory. Participants refocused on refining the projects and technological solutions they had been developing since the first day. As the competition deadline approached, the panel of judges from IBM made rounds to directly evaluate each team, taking into consideration aspects of innovation, technical implementation, sustainability of the solution, and its potential for development in the Industrial world.
STEKOM students also presented the final results of their projects before the panel of judges, explaining the concept, the technologies used, and the impact of the solutions offered. The competition atmosphere was dynamic, competitive, and yet upheld the spirit of inter-university collaboration.
In the midst of the activities, a warm sense of togetherness was visible as university leaders and students interacted in the campus food court area alongside Indian students. As a gesture of appreciation, Arunai College of Engineering distributed official bags bearing the CODEFEST 2 – Hackathon logo to all students from the Artificial Intelligence Department and competition participants as souvenirs of the International event.
After going through an intensive evaluation process lasting a full day, the committee finally determined the competition winners. The official announcement was made at 17:00 local time in the campus auditorium on February 6, 2026, in the presence of all participants and invited guests.
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List of Winners of CODEFEST 2 – Hackathon 2026
1st Place
SRM University
Team Members:
- Devraj Samadhan Shinde
- Nethaji R
- Pravan Promod Shinde
2nd Place
Universitas STEKOM
Team Members:
- Andika Dwi Saputra
- Weslay Charles Yarinap
- Mohamad Erik Prayoga
- Ana Indriani
3rd Place
Mailam Engineering College
Team Members:
- Mohanasundaram B
- Selvadharshini K
- Yaahaswini M
The moment of the winners' announcement marked the closing of a competition series that was dynamic throughout and reflected the spirit of innovation and International cooperation among universities.
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The second day's activities then concluded with a group photo session involving all participants, students, and university leaders in attendance, serving as documentation and a symbol of strengthened International academic collaboration. Present at the session were Dr. Joseph Teguh Santoso, M.Sc, as Rector of STEKOM University, C. Elanchezhian, M.E., Ph.D, as Rector of Arunai College of Engineerin, Prof. S. Noorul Hassan as Head of Department of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, and Mrs. G. Shoba as Assistant Professor and Head of Department (AI & ML).