The prestigious global innovation event, The 7th World Invention Competition and Exhibition (WICE) 2025, returns as a worldwide stage for young inventors to showcase their discoveries and innovations in science, technology, and commercialization. Organized in a hybrid format by the Indonesian Young Scientist Association (IYSA) in collaboration with SEGI University in Malaysia, this competition is a fierce arena for young talents from various countries. In a proud moment, the delegation from Yogyakarta State University won the Gold Medal. This remarkable victory was achieved thanks to their innovation, the Mathara Ethnomathematics-Based Educational Magazine Development project, which competed in the Innovative Social Science category.

WICE 2025 was held to provide a global platform for young talents to utilize their discoveries in science, innovation, technology, and commercialization. The 7th edition was highly competitive, with hundreds of projects from 11 countries competing. The delegation from Yogyakarta State University attended the offline judging session in Malaysia, which was held at SEGI College Kota Damansara. The team, consisting of Margaretha Ivana Angeline, Siti Vera Lestari, Hilda Widya Rita Hamid, Ais Kumila from the Master of Mathematics Education program, and Nurul Fitriani from the Master of English Education program, accompanied by their advisor Mr. Heru Sukoco, S.Si., M.Pd.., had to prepare articles, innovative products, booths, and posters for the intense judging session. Participants were required to present their products in English, followed by a question-and-answer session with the international judging panel.

The innovation that impressed the international jury was the project Development of Mathara Educational Magazine Based on Ethnomathematics Oriented Towards Mathematical Literacy and Student Cultural Appreciation. This project was born out of concern over the low level of mathematical literacy among Indonesian students, as seen in the 2022 PISA results. The Yogyakarta State University team offered a contextual, applicable, and meaningful learning media solution by integrating mathematical concepts, such as geometry and congruence, with the Larangan Keraton Yogyakarta Batik Motif. Mathara magazine is expected to provide a different learning experience, where students understand formulas and develop an appreciation for local wisdom as a source of learning.

The announcement of the winners on September 24, 2025, was a moment of pride for the UNY delegation. After a rigorous judging process at SEGI College Kota Damansara, Malaysia, the Mathara Educational Magazine innovation from the UNY team was awarded the Gold Medal in the Innovative Social Science (University) category. Not stopping there, this project also received the extraordinary honor of winning the Grand Prize worth IDR 1,500,000, for successfully ranking as the 2nd Best Team from all categories competed in WICE 2025. This double award is proof that innovations rooted in local wisdom can respond to global challenges. (Margaretha/HnR)