Malaysia, 16 December 2025 – Three students from the Arabic Study Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada achieved notable success at the Modern Languages Olympiad 3.0, an international language competition held at Universiti Teknologi MARA in Shah Alam, Malaysia, with its main events culminating on 16 December 2025. The competition brought together participants from various countries to compete in multilingual language categories.
In the Arabic Poetry Recital category, Pandhita Hapsari, a 2023 cohort student, won first place and also received the Best Script Award. Her teammate, Muhammad Hayyi’ Rosyada from the 2024 cohort, secured third place in the same category. Meanwhile, Haris Arfakhsyadz Azka Maula, also from the 2024 cohort, earned second place in the Arabic Champion Orator category and was additionally recognized with the Best Impromptu Speech Award. Throughout the competition in Malaysia, the students were officially accompanied by Dr. Zurfa Purnamawati, M.Hum., Head of the Arabic Study Program at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, reflecting the program’s institutional support during the event.
The Modern Languages Olympiad 3.0 was organized by the Academy of Language Studies at Universiti Teknologi MARA as a multilingual competition featuring four main language categories: Malay, English, Arabic, and Mandarin. The competition process began with participant registration on 30 October 2025, followed by the submission of preliminary round videos until 6 November 2025. The judging phase took place from 8 to 15 November 2025, with the announcement of initial results on 17 November 2025. The final round was held in person on 15 and 16 December 2025 and concluded with a closing ceremony the following day.
According to the official description, the Poetry Recital category is designed as a multilingual poetry writing and performance competition that encourages creative expression across languages while celebrating cultural diversity and unity. The Champion Orator category, meanwhile, serves as a multilingual public speaking platform that enables participants to convey ideas across traditions and enrich cultural values in public discourse.
The achievements of the UGM Arabic Study Program students at the Modern Languages Olympiad 3.0 highlight their strong academic capacity and competitive language skills on the international stage. Active participation in global forums such as this reinforces the role of language as a bridge for intercultural dialogue and underscores the importance of education oriented toward cross national collaboration for a more sustainable future.
Author: Candra Solihin
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