Yogyakarta, 26 October 2026 — Two international students from the Faculty of Psychology, Yogyakarta State University (UNY), Afaq Ahmed and Abu Horaira, achieved an outstanding result at the Leading Scientific Fair (LSF) SINERA 2026, organised by Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII) in Yogyakarta on 24–25 October 2026. They won First Place in the Scientific Paper Competition and the Best Presentation Award for their innovative work on student mental health.

In the competition, Afaq Ahmed served as the team leader, while Abu Horaira was a team member. They presented a paper entitled “PSYNERGY: A Psychologist-Supervised, AI-Assisted Mental-Health Triage and Care-Navigation System for Generation Z in Universities.” The paper explores how artificial intelligence (AI) could support university students’ access to mental-health services while keeping psychologists involved in supervision and professional care. PSYNERGY is proposed as a support system to help students recognise their mental-health support needs and identify appropriate services. Its conceptual design includes consent-based onboarding, screening through validated instruments that are not intended to provide diagnoses, and transparent, rule-based risk stratification. It also proposes using AI to recommend psychoeducational materials and self-management resources approved by psychologists. When crisis indicators are identified, users would be directed towards procedures involving human professionals.

The concept emphasises that AI is not intended to replace psychologists, but rather to support students in accessing relevant information and navigating available services. Psychologist supervision is a key element of the proposed system, particularly in ensuring that recommendations remain appropriate and that cases requiring further attention are referred to professionals. However, PSYNERGY remains a conceptual design. Its effectiveness, safety, usability, and feasibility have yet to be evaluated through empirical research. The paper is also relevant to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being relates to the proposed improvement of access to mental-health support. SDG 4: Quality Education reflects the importance of fostering a university environment that supports student well-being. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure relates to exploring the use of technology to support mental-health services. These connections highlight the concept’s potential relevance to mental health and higher education, although its actual impact cannot be established without further testing.

LSF SINERA 2026 carried the theme “Empowering Scientific Minds: Fostering Innovation and Cultivating a Sustainable Global Civilization.” The theme highlights the importance of scientific thinking, innovation, and academic contributions in addressing societal challenges. Afaq Ahmed and Abu Horaira’s achievement reflects the active participation of UNY’s international students in scientific forums and their efforts to develop ideas relevant to the needs of younger generations. Beyond their academic activities, Afaq Ahmed has served as Vice President of the UNY International Student Association (ISA) since August 2025, while Abu Horaira has served as its President since the same period. Their achievement is a source of pride for the Faculty of Psychology, UNY, and is expected to inspire students to continue developing critical thinking, collaborating across backgrounds, and producing meaningful scientific work. Congratulations to Afaq Ahmed and Abu Horaira on their achievement at LSF SINERA 2026