Balikpapan — Another proud achievement has been made by students of Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (ITK). A cross-disciplinary student team successfully won 2nd Place at the Lombok Essay Competition 6 (LEC 6), organized by RISKI (Ruang Inovasi Sains dan Karya Ilmiah) at Universitas Muhammadiyah Mataram.

The team was led by Khaisya Arnaizahra Oktavia Romadani from Food Technology, class of 2023, with team members Akbar Juniarta Shaleh from Electrical Engineering, class of 2023, Revi Mariska Kuhadi from Food Technology, class of 2023, and Wina Mutiara Pane from Food Technology, class of 2023. Throughout the competition, the team was supervised by Amalia Nur Kumalaningrum.

This achievement was earned through an essay titled “BURSUN: Instant Porridge Based on Resistant Starch Breadfruit Flour.” The idea highlights the potential of local food resources through the development of an instant porridge made from modified breadfruit flour with high resistant starch content, or RS3, fermented using lactic acid bacteria. This innovation reflects the students’ effort to combine creativity, scientific thinking, and the utilization of local food resources into a value-added product.

The team’s participation in the competition was driven by their motivation to develop their skills, interests, and talents in scientific writing. During the preparation stage, the team worked on essay writing, poster design, and presentation practice. After passing the initial submission and selection stage, the team advanced to the next round and continued the competition through an offline poster presentation held on May 9–11, 2026.

The competition served not only as a platform for achievement, but also as a space for students to strengthen their critical thinking, develop scientific ideas, and communicate innovation in a structured way. Through BURSUN, the ITK team demonstrated that scientific writing can become a medium for presenting food solutions that are relevant, innovative, and rooted in Indonesia’s local resource potential.

For the team, participating in the competition was both memorable and challenging. In addition to providing a competitive experience, the event broadened their perspective and strengthened their motivation to continue creating and innovating. Looking ahead, the team hopes that support for student activities, especially competitions and achievement development, can continue to be strengthened so that more students are encouraged to participate and confidently develop their potential.

This achievement once again confirms that ITK students are not only capable of competing at the national level, but are also able to deliver ideas that are relevant to current needs. Through cross-disciplinary collaboration and a strong spirit of innovation, ITK students continue to demonstrate their contribution to academia and to the development of science-based solutions.