Balikpapan - The Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (ITK) continues to demonstrate its commitment to nurturing outstanding students through the 2026 Outstanding Student Selection (Pilmapres). This year, a Chemical Engineering student, Marles Paelongan, has officially been selected as ITK’s Outstanding Student 2026 and will represent the university at the LLDIKTI Region XI level.

This achievement reflects Marles’ consistent excellence in both academic and non-academic fields. At the national level, he secured 1st Place in the Calculus Competition GAMES UHO 2025, as well as multiple 2nd Place awards in national essay competitions. In addition, he was named among the Top 10 Finalists of the Idea Pitch Competition at the Blue Ocean Strategy Fellowship (BOSF), which brings together young innovators from universities across Indonesia.

Beyond competitions, Marles actively contributes to academic development and student engagement. He serves as Vice Head of the Scientific Division of the Chemical Engineering Student Association (HIMATEKKIM) ITK, and is involved as a tutor in a national learning program. His contributions also include the development of a practicum module that has received official copyright registration.

In the Pilmapres competition, Marles presents his creative idea titled “NYAWIT ETAM: Smart Circular Biorefinery Based on IoT.” This concept offers an innovative solution for managing palm oil waste through an integrated system that converts waste into energy and value-added products. By leveraging Internet of Things (IoT) technology, the system enables real-time monitoring and control, improving efficiency while supporting sustainability principles.

The idea is highly relevant to East Kalimantan, a region with significant potential in the palm oil industry. It not only focuses on waste processing but also adopts a circular economy approach, maximizing resource utilization in a sustainable manner.

The Outstanding Student Selection program itself is a strategic initiative aimed at encouraging students to develop a balance of intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual competencies. It also serves as a platform to foster creativity and innovation, producing students capable of delivering meaningful impact to society.

Through his participation at the LLDIKTI Region XI level, Marles Paelongan is expected to deliver his best performance and bring ITK to compete at a higher stage. This achievement further highlights ITK’s role in developing students who are not only high-achieving but also capable of contributing to sustainable development, in line with the spirit of “ITK for Impact.”