In a bid to nurture creativity and enhance students’ writing skills while competing on a national stage, the Department of International Relations at Padjadjaran University has organized the IR-Ticles event. This initiative revolves around a national competition involving the creation of written works and paper presentations centered on the theme of International Relations. These works will eventually be featured in the Padjadjaran Journal of International Relations (Padjir) and, if possible, in the Intermestic: Journal of International Studies (INTERMESTIC).

IR-Ticles serves a dual purpose: to elevate the reputation and recognition of the Board of Student Executives (BPH HIMA HI UNPAD) and the International Relations Department at UNPAD by hosting a national-scale competition. Furthermore, it provides a platform for academics from universities across Indonesia to engage in scientific competition.

Four teams participated in this event, which took place on Saturday, July 8th, 2023, from 09:00 to 13:00 WIB in the seminar room at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP UNPAD).

The event kicked off with a pre-event titled “AESTHETE: IR-Ticles,” which was held in person and centered around the theme “Democracy: Further than the Eye can See.” Various sub-themes were explored, including “Democracy and Capitalism Economic in Globalization Era, Is It Still Working?,” “Democratic Global Governance: Towards a More Inclusive World Order,” “Maintaining Perpetual Peace in the Democratic World Order,” and “The Paradox of Representative Democracy: How to Deal with It?” Teams from different regions participated, culminating in a final presentation at the FISIP UNPAD seminar room on Saturday, July 8th, 2023.

The day’s events commenced promptly at 9:00 AM with opening remarks from the project officer, representatives from HIMA HI FISIP UNPAD, and the International Relations program at FISIP UNPAD. This was followed by concise 10-minute presentations from each participating group, with a subsequent 10-minute Q&A session with the panel of judges. Each group delivered their presentations successfully and answered all questions posed by the judges.

After a 30-minute deliberation, the judges announced the winners. The first-place team was “Mahkamah,” the second-place team was “Arigatou Extend,” and the third-place team was “Ceteris Paribus.” The event concluded with the presentation of certificates to the winners by the judges and a group photo to mark the end of the Pre-Event AESTHETE: IR-Ticles.

IR-Ticles not only highlights the academic prowess of students but also fosters intellectual exchange and competition in the field of International Relations, contributing to the development of young scholars.