The Faculty of Philosophy at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) is once again organizing the annual Philosophy Essay Competition (PEC) 2025, now in its 14th edition. Unlike previous years, this year’s PEC expands its scope by opening participation not only to 10th and 11th grade high school students but also to active Diploma and Bachelor’s degree students across Indonesia.
PEC 2025 is part of the series of events commemorating the 58th Anniversary of the Faculty of Philosophy UGM, which carries the overarching theme “Open Science: Democratizing Knowledge, Empowering the Marginalized.” The main theme of PEC 2025, “Open Science, For Whom?”, invites young generations to reflect on how education should serve as a tool to liberate marginalized communities from injustice.
“The current era of information openness means science should rightly be the foundation for a nation’s progress that is more inclusive and equitable. However, in reality, access to science is still hindered by barriers such as the commercialization of education, high costs, and disparities in educational infrastructure,” said the PEC Committee Chair, Rangga Kala Mahaswa, S.Fil., M.Phil.
He continued, Indonesia has taken steps towards more open science through policies like open access to research journals, national repositories, and cross-institutional research collaboration. Nonetheless, support for digital infrastructure, stakeholders’ involvement, and broader collective awareness still need to be strengthened.
“Therefore, through PEC 2025, we hope that participants not only describe their ideas about Open Science but also critically examine the challenges in advancing science in Indonesia,” he explained.
With a reflective and argumentative essay format, participants are expected to explore questions such as how open science can reduce knowledge gaps between researchers and society without compromising research quality, and who actually benefits or loses from closed knowledge systems.