The Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), organised a Poster Competition as part of its academic collaboration and international engagement programme with Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Malaysia, on 5 September 2026. The event brought together student teams from three higher education institutions— the Faculty of Psychology UNY, Universitas Mercu Buana Yogyakarta (UMBY), and UPSI Malaysia—in an academic forum designed to encourage students to develop ideas, communicate knowledge through visual media, and gain valuable experience in an international and cross-institutional competitive environment.

The competition was participated in by several teams representing the three institutions. The involvement of students from the Faculty of Psychology UNY, UMBY, and UPSI Malaysia added a distinctive dimension to the event, as each team brought different academic experiences, perspectives, and approaches to communicating their ideas. Through poster presentations, participants were challenged to transform academic concepts into messages that were concise, systematic, informative, and visually engaging. The process required not only a strong understanding of the subject matter, but also the ability to communicate academic ideas effectively to audiences with diverse backgrounds. The Poster Competition also provided students with an opportunity to strengthen their scientific communication skills, which are increasingly important in both academic and professional environments. Developing an effective poster requires participants to select relevant information, identify key messages, organise content strategically, and determine how complex ideas can be communicated clearly without compromising academic substance. Therefore, the competition served not merely as a platform for recognising outstanding work, but also as a meaningful learning experience that fostered critical thinking, creativity, communication, and knowledge-sharing skills.

The collaborative dimension of the competition was further strengthened through the involvement of reviewers representing each of the three participating institutions: the Faculty of Psychology UNY, UMBY, and UPSI Malaysia. Having reviewers from the three institutions provided diverse academic perspectives while reflecting the cross-institutional spirit of the programme. Their involvement also gave participants the opportunity to receive feedback from different academic viewpoints, particularly regarding the relevance of their ideas, the quality of their content, the clarity of their presentation, and their ability to communicate academic messages effectively through visual media. For students of the Faculty of Psychology UNY, participation in the Poster Competition provided an opportunity to bring psychological perspectives into a broader academic and competitive setting. Psychology encompasses diverse areas of inquiry, including human behaviour, development, mental health, education, organisational life, and social issues. Through the competition, students were encouraged not only to demonstrate their understanding of psychological topics but also to transform psychological knowledge into accessible, relevant, and engaging forms of communication for wider academic and social audiences.

The interaction between Indonesian and Malaysian students also created a valuable intercultural learning experience. Differences in educational backgrounds, academic experiences, cultural contexts, and perspectives can become important sources of learning when students engage in constructive academic exchange. The competition allowed participants to recognise that complex issues may be understood through different perspectives and approaches while encouraging openness to diversity, adaptability, and effective communication across cultural boundaries. From the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Poster Competition contributed to SDG 4: Quality Education by providing a learning experience that fostered creativity, critical thinking, scientific communication, and experiential learning. Higher education should extend beyond the acquisition of academic knowledge by providing students with opportunities to apply what they learn, develop problem-solving abilities, and communicate ideas effectively. The Poster Competition represented an educational activity that integrated knowledge and practical skills within a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment.

The programme also directly supported SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals by bringing together three higher education institutions in a shared academic activity and strengthening connections beyond institutional and national boundaries. The involvement of the Faculty of Psychology UNY, UMBY, and UPSI Malaysia demonstrated how university partnerships can be translated into meaningful student-centred activities. Such collaboration may provide a foundation for broader academic engagement in the future, including student mobility, collaborative research, scientific events, capacity-building programmes, and other forms of international cooperation. In addition, the Poster Competition reflected the spirit of SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, particularly through the promotion of creativity and innovation in knowledge communication. Using posters as a medium for academic dissemination encouraged students to combine scholarly knowledge with creative approaches to presenting ideas. The ability to transform complex academic information into clear and engaging visual communication represents an important form of innovation in knowledge dissemination, particularly in an increasingly digital environment where information must often be communicated efficiently and effectively.

Through the programme, the Faculty of Psychology UNY demonstrated its commitment to providing students with learning opportunities that extend beyond academic achievement to include collaboration, communication, creativity, innovation, and intercultural engagement. The participation of students from UMBY and UPSI Malaysia showed that an academic competition can simultaneously function as a platform for networking, broadening perspectives, and strengthening relationships among students from different higher education institutions. Ultimately, the Poster Competition was more than a competition for academic and creative achievement. It became a meaningful academic experience that brought together knowledge, creativity, communication, and collaboration. Through the participation of students, reviewers, and academic institutions from Indonesia and Malaysia, the programme strengthened the Faculty of Psychology UNY’s commitment to international engagement, student development, academic innovation, and collaborative learning, while preparing students to become adaptable and globally oriented members of the academic community.