Padjadjaran Competition (PEC), organized by Gelanggang Mahasiswa Sastra Inggris (Gemasi) Universitas Padjadjaran, has received official recognition from Pusat Prestasi Nasional (Puspresnas)or the National Achievement Center, Kementerian Pendidikan Dasar dan Menengah (Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education). This recognition affirms PEC as a reputable academic platform that encourages students to develop and showcase their language skills, critical thinking, and creativity. Therefore, the 9th PEC participants’ certificates are now officially recognized as international/national academic achievements. Students (Peserta Didik) and educational institutions (Satuan Pendidikan) may submit their certificates to be assessed by Puspresnas and formally recorded in the Sistem Informasi Manajemen Talenta (SIMT) through their website. The certificate can also be included in academic admissions, scholarship applications, personal portfolios, and institutional accreditation purposes, as outlined on the Puspresnas website.
Prior to the recognition, the 9th PEC was successfully held in hybrid format on 30 November and 1 December 2024 by Gemasi, demonstrating the English Studies Unpad’s commitment to supporting students in developing academic competency, contributing to community projects, and building connections both domestically as well as internationally. Centered on the theme “The Best Lack All Conviction, while the Worst are Full of Passionate Intensity,” quoting from W. B. Yeats’ The Second Coming, the 9th PEC encouraged participants to show their integrity and humanity through their honest voice as students by producing written and performance-based works, including Essay Writing, Short Story Writing, Speech, Storytelling, and Poetry Reading.
The competition’s judges included established writers, artists, and scholars from various countries, such as Keni Soeriatmadja, Angelo R. (Sarge) Lacuesta, Mark Spears, Heru Joni Putra, Dhianita Kusuma Pertiwi, Martin Suryajaya, Christian Benitez, Joselito Delos Reyes, and Farooq Kperogi. Their constructive feedback and meticulous assessments supported participants’ improvement and highlighted several remarkable works, including one essay selected for publication on The Jakarta Post website through this competition. With 249 participants from 17 Indonesian provinces and other countries, including Malaysia, the Philippines, and Brunei Darussalam, the 9th PEC has proven to be an international platform for students to exchange their insights into socio-cultural topics and establish professional networks.
The recognition from Puspresnas officially marks the end of the 9th PEC. We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to all parties who contributed to the success of this event, especially to our sponsors: Bank Indonesia, Aminda Hotel, Casa de Aminda, The British Institute, and official media partner: The Jakarta Post, for their support.
Going forward, we are delighted to share that the 10th Padjadjaran English Competition (PEC) will soon take place. We warmly invite high school and university students to take part in the competition and join us for another remarkable chapter of PEC.
Written by: Crystal & Raisa.
