Students of the Bachelor of Psychology, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) strengthened their international academic engagement through the Poster Competition, held on 5 September 2026 as part of a series of collaborative activities with Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Malaysia. The competition brought together students from three higher education institutions, namely the Faculty of Psychology UNY, Universitas Mercu Buana Yogyakarta (UMBY), and UPSI Malaysia, in an academic and creative platform that encouraged critical thinking, scientific communication, creativity, and effective visual presentation of ideas.

In the competition, Bachelor of Psychology students represented UNY, joining student participants from UMBY and UPSI Malaysia. Their participation provided an opportunity to expand their academic experience beyond the classroom while developing their ability to communicate and interact with students from different educational and cultural backgrounds. Through the posters they presented, students were encouraged to communicate academic ideas in a concise, systematic, engaging, and academically grounded manner. The Poster Competition served as a form of experiential learning that offered students an academic experience beyond conventional classroom activities. Participants were challenged to process information, identify key ideas, organise content visually, and present their work in a way that could be understood by a broader audience. This process encouraged students to integrate their knowledge of psychology with scientific communication skills, which are increasingly important in both academic and professional settings.

The competition was further enriched by the involvement of three reviewers, each representing the Faculty of Psychology UNY, UMBY, and UPSI Malaysia. The participation of reviewers from the three institutions brought diverse academic perspectives to the assessment process. Beyond providing students with a meaningful competitive experience, the review process allowed participants to gain insights from different higher education environments and to understand how academic ideas can be communicated effectively across institutional and cultural contexts. For Bachelor of Psychology students at UNY, interacting directly with students from UPSI Malaysia and UMBY also contributed to the development of interpersonal and intercultural competencies. Psychology as a discipline concerned with human behaviour and mental processes cannot be separated from social and cultural contexts. Differences in values, communication styles, social practices, and perspectives on psychological issues can provide valuable learning opportunities for students as they develop a more comprehensive understanding of human behaviour.

Participation in international academic activities such as this competition is also an important component of the learning experience within the Bachelor of Psychology programme. Psychology education extends beyond lectures, practical sessions, research, and academic assignments. It also involves direct experiences that allow students to encounter new perspectives and engage with diverse communities. Interacting with Malaysian students in an academic setting gave UNY students an opportunity to strengthen their confidence, cross-cultural communication skills, and readiness to participate in an increasingly interconnected academic environment.

From the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Poster Competition contributed to SDG 4: Quality Education by providing students with inclusive, creative, and competency-oriented learning experiences. Quality education extends beyond academic knowledge and includes the development of critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, and global competencies. Through the competition, students were given the opportunity to develop these competencies through an authentic and collaborative academic experience.

The activity also supported SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals by strengthening academic relationships among higher education institutions and students from Indonesia and Malaysia. The interaction between students from the Faculty of Psychology UNY, UMBY, and UPSI Malaysia demonstrated that institutional partnerships can be translated into meaningful student-centred activities. Academic competitions, knowledge exchange, intercultural interaction, and shared learning experiences can serve as a foundation for broader and more sustainable collaboration in the future.

Furthermore, the creativity and innovation involved in developing academic posters reflected the spirit of SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, particularly in fostering students’ capacity to develop ideas and communicate knowledge through creative approaches. As a medium of scientific communication, poster presentation requires students to transform academic information into structured and accessible messages. Such skills are increasingly relevant in an era of digital communication, where the ability to communicate knowledge clearly and effectively to diverse audiences has become an important academic and professional competency.

For the Bachelor of Psychology programme at UNY, participation in the Poster Competition also represented an important form of international exposure for undergraduate students. Opportunities to learn and interact with students from another country broaden students’ perspectives on psychology education while allowing them to establish academic connections at the undergraduate level. Such experiences may encourage students to explore further international opportunities, including research collaboration, student mobility, academic conferences, and other programmes that support their academic and professional development.

Ultimately, the Poster Competition was more than a competition to identify outstanding poster presentations. It served as a learning space that brought together academic knowledge, creativity, scientific communication, collaboration, and intercultural experience. For Bachelor of Psychology students at UNY, participation in the activity demonstrated how knowledge gained through coursework can be brought into a broader academic environment while allowing students to learn from peers and academic perspectives from other institutions.

Through the participation of Bachelor of Psychology students in the Poster Competition with UMBY and UPSI Malaysia, international exposure continues to become an important part of students’ academic journeys. The activity demonstrated that psychology learning can take place through diverse experiences, including academic competitions, scientific communication, and cross-cultural interaction. By providing students with opportunities to engage in international academic activities, the Bachelor of Psychology UNY continues to encourage students to grow as critical, creative, collaborative, and globally minded learners who are prepared to contribute to academic and professional environments in an increasingly interconnected world.