Four students from Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana (UKDW), Yogyakarta, have emerged as winners in the Scranton Essay and Short Film Contest, organized by the Scranton Women’s Leadership Center. This year’s competition spotlighted two powerful themes: “AI and Women’s Leadership” for the essay category, and “Women’s Leadership: Inspiring Women and Changing Communities” for the short film segment.
The UKDW winners will each receive a one-year Scranton scholarship along with an additional US$500 prize. The winners include Apriani Magdalena Sibarani (Doctoral Program in Theology) and Beatrice Dwi Putri Rustandi (Informatics), who triumphed in the essay category. In the short film category, the honors went to Elva Maria Evelina (Information Systems) and Agnes Valentina (English Language Education).
Apriani’s essay explored “Opportunities and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence in Women’s Leadership: An Asian Women’s Perspective,” offering a nuanced look at how AI can both empower and hinder women leaders in the region. Beatrice contributed an essay titled “Becoming a Part of a More Gender-Balanced Future of AI through Role-Based Applications,” addressing inclusivity in tech innovation.
In the short film competition, Elva presented “Me, Leadership, and Change: Breaking Stereotypes as a Triple Minority,” a personal narrative about overcoming intersectional challenges. Agnes created a tribute to Indonesian women’s rights pioneer R.A. Kartini with her film, “R.A. Kartini: Pioneering Leadership Beyond Stereotypes.”
The essay contest encouraged participants to reflect on how artificial intelligence can be a tool for empowering women leaders, transforming leadership practices, and tackling gender inequality. It also called for critical engagement with issues such as algorithmic bias, ethical dilemmas, and digital access gaps.
Meanwhile, the short film contest invited stories of real-life women who lead with courage and inspire change—whether drawn from personal experiences or the lives of others—highlighting the transformative impact of women’s leadership in communities around the world. [humasukdw/trans.drr]