Jakarta. Five medical students from Padjadjaran University’s Faculty of Medicine won two awards at the prestigious Global Hackatom 2025 competition held in Moscow, Russia.

They formed a team called “Tahu Sumedang”, consisting of Marsha Aziza Wardhana, Fathi Ghifari Muhammad, Richard Christophorus, Frederick Suhamdy, and Krisi Nohan. The team secured second place in the finals, which featured representatives from 10 countries. They also received a special award and applause for their brilliant idea and presentation.

"We really didn’t expect to win because we’re from a medical background with no engineering expertise at all," said Marsha.

In the final round, held at the Moscow Atomic Museum on September 27–28, team Tahu Sumedang was challenged to create an innovation related to atomic technology and its applications in outer space.

In less than 24 hours, they developed an innovation to monitor astronauts’ sleep rhythms while in space. Additionally, they proposed a therapy using nuclear radioisotopes as a solution.

"Space is extremely dark, and we don’t know the sun’s position, which disrupts human sleep cycles. This can affect many areas such as the heart, immunity, bones, and even psychiatric health," Marsha explained.

Alongside her, Fathi Ghifari Muhammad shared their experience. According to him, the team spent countless hours -- from evening until late at night -- preparing for the presentation.

"We discussed and debated even the smallest details in theory, so we wouldn’t make mistakes on stage. Thankfully, even with just one hour of sleep, it was all worth it," he said.

Meanwhile, Richard Christophorus highlighted the crucial support they received from various parties. From the national-level competition in Yogyakarta to the finals in Russia, the team also received material and academic support from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), including discussions with Professor Efrizon Umar and other BRIN experts. Also present at the finals was BRIN’s Deputy for Human Resources in Science and Technology, Professor Edy Giri Rachman Putra, who came to encourage them.

"We are truly grateful for the support we received here. First and foremost, from our mentor, Dr. Ghozali. In this final round, we were greatly assisted. And, of course, we can’t forget the support from our parents and families -- without them, we wouldn’t be here," Richard added.

Professor Mohammad Ghozali, from the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Padjadjaran University’s Faculty of Medicine, who served as the team’s mentor, emphasized that winning was not the main priority. He expressed gratitude that his students gave their best performance and proudly represented Indonesia, particularly Padjadjaran University.

"This is truly an extraordinary opportunity. We are grateful that we placed second at Global Hackatom 2025. This achievement shows how medical students, through their innovations in nuclear medicine and physiology, have contributed solutions related to astronaut health in space," he said.

Another member, Frederick Suhamdy, noted that their campus culture of prioritizing innovation had trained them to think critically when facing any problem.

"We learned a lot -- especially how to think critically to solve global issues. Wherever we are, we can create innovations that become solutions for the world," said Frederick, who is known as Erik.

The Global Hackatom is organized by Russia’s state-owned atomic energy company Rosatom to challenge young people worldwide to solve problems related to atomic and other technologies, aiming to improve human life.

With the theme “Empowering Better Future”, the finals were held at the VDNKh Atomic Monument in Moscow, featuring teams from 10 countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Hungary, Namibia, Rwanda, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Russia. Brazil won first place, while Hungary took third.

In addition to second place, Indonesia also received a special award from the Russian Academy of Sciences for the team’s brilliant idea and presentation.

This achievement demonstrates that Indonesian youth possess international-level thinking and capabilities, proving they can compete with human resources from other countries.

"To all young people in Indonesia aspiring to achieve more in the future, never give up because there are still many opportunities -- both nationally and internationally. Don’t ever give up," said Krisi Noha on Sunday.