Selong – The Faculty of Engineering at Hamzanwadi University once again demonstrated its commitment to producing a tech-savvy and innovative young generation. On Monday (July 6th), the prestigious annual IT Competition (ITC) IX officially opened at the Faculty of Engineering Building. Now in its ninth year, the competition is designed to provide a platform for students and the general public to test and hone their skills in Information Technology (IT).

This year, participant enthusiasm was high, with more than 50 participants from various regions across Lombok Island participating to compete and showcase their digital talents. In his remarks, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Hamzanwadi University, Dr. H. Muhammad Djamaluddin, BE., M.Kom., stated that this competition is not just a competition for the top prize, but rather an incubation space to foster genuine interest and talent in the world of technology. In this rapidly evolving digital era, participants are challenged to think critically and find solutions.

"We want to motivate students, especially those at the high school and Islamic high school levels, to continue learning and exploring the world of IT. Through this competition, they are encouraged to demonstrate innovation, high creativity, and strong problem-solving skills," said the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering. He believes that the ability to solve complex problems will be crucial for the younger generation in facing future challenges.

Meanwhile, Zulhaeri, Chair of the IX ITC Committee, explained that this year's competition features a variety of challenging and relevant competitions. There are five competition categories:
1. IT and Environmental Quiz Competition (High School/Equivalent Level Only)
2. Robotics Competition (Sumo Robot & Soccer Robot) (General Category)
3. Cyber ​​Security (General Category)
4. Poster Competition (General Category)
5. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang E-Sports (General Category)

Of the five categories, Zulhaeri revealed that the Robotics Competition was the favorite and garnered the highest interest from participants at this year's event. "The robotics category, particularly sumo robot and soccer robot, was the category with the highest number of participants. This proves that our young generation's interest in robotics and automation is growing rapidly," he said.

Given the high level of participant interest, the committee initially planned to take this robotics competition to the national level. However, due to the limited preparation time of only about two months, the committee chose to focus on optimizing quality at the provincial level first this year.

Nevertheless, this extraordinary achievement and enthusiasm are valuable assets for the Faculty of Engineering at Hamzanwadi University. Moving forward, the committee is committed to preparing early—approximately five to six months before the event—so that subsequent ITCs can expand the reach of participants to the national level and deliver even higher-quality competitions.