Depok-Sarah Maharani, a student of the Insurance and Actuarial Administration study program, Vocational Education Program, Universitas Indonesia (UI), successfully achieved Co-2nd Runner-Up in the Novice Category in the 29th Indonesian Varsity English Debate (IVED) 2026 event. This national-level English debate competition was organized by the Student English Forum (SEF) of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and supported by Aurgumentum. This event was held in two rounds, namely the preliminary round (February 14-15) and the elimination round (February 21-22).
IVED is one of the oldest English language debate competitions in Indonesia, using the Australasian Parliamentary format. In this format, each team consists of three speakers, each giving an eight-minute speech, alternating between the Affirmative (Pro) and Negative (Con) sides, without interruption (points of information). The debate round concludes with a four-minute reply speech.
Sarah joined the UI C team with fellow UI students Ghaitsa Shafa Ratu Aulia from the International Relations (FISIP) study program and Aurelia Emily from the Environmental Engineering (FT) study program. In this competition, they competed against various universities from across Indonesia.
According to Sarah, one of the biggest challenges in this competition was the motions on international relations and politics, such as “That hybrid regimes should pursue complete transformation to liberal democracy.” She also highlighted the motion “That as a Feminist Movement, we oppose women’s position of being counterparts to powerful men,” which was considered relevant to the issues of feminism and misogynistic culture.
“This competition really trains critical thinking and analytical skills. We have to be able to break down a motion, find the core clash, and then build a logical and consistent argument. With strong analysis, any motion can still be argued from a sensible angle and defended to the end,” Sarah explained.
Preparation for the competition began in January through regular coaching sessions with the UI English Debating Society (EDS) Student Activity Unit (UKM) four times a week. Training included sparring sessions, problem-solving, drills, and matrix homework covering topics from Asian politics to economics and social movements. The team also trained with other universities to hone their communication, argumentation, and strategy skills.
Sarah explained that her motivation for participating in IVED 2026 was to improve her debating skills and challenge herself before graduating. This achievement was a significant step after previously failing to advance past the elimination round.
The Director of the UI Vocational Education Program, Dr. Safrin Arifin, S.St., S.K.M., M.Sc., expressed his appreciation for the achievement. “We are very proud of Sarah’s achievement in IVED 2026. This success demonstrates that Insurance and Actuarial Administration students not only excel academically but also possess strong critical thinking, analytical, and communication skills,” he said.
The participation of UI Vocational students in IVED 2026 strengthens the role of the younger generation in critical thinking, effective communication, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. This is also relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly point 4 on Quality Education and point 16 on Peace, Justice, and Resilient Institutions.
