Four students from Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) achieved a remarkable feat by winning a gold medal at the Silicon Valley International Invention Festival (SVIIF) 2018 in California, USA, held from July 2-4, 2018. Their showcased innovation was brake pads made from organic waste.

The four outstanding students are Winelda Mahfud Zaidan Haris from the Faculty of Dentistry (Class of 2015), Wahid Nurhayat from the Chemistry Extension Program (Class of 2017), Andika Pratama from the Physics Department (Class of 2015), and Azwin Harfansah Nasution from the Chemical Engineering Department (Class of 2014). They not only represented USU but were also the sole delegates from Indonesia at this prestigious competition.

The students, known as the Schneider Team, were warmly welcomed by the Rector of USU, Prof. Dr. Runtung Sitepu, S.H., M.Hum., during an audience in his office on Monday, July 16.

During the meeting, Wahid Nurhayat mentioned that the Rector urged the Schneider Team to immediately establish a startup company to create job opportunities for students and support all Schneider Team activities. Additionally, the Rector advised them to secure a patent for their research results, which had won the international competition, to prevent it from being claimed or taken over by others.

Meanwhile, USU's Head of Public Relations, Elvi Sumanti, S.T., M.Hum., expressed immense pride in the students' achievement. She hoped this accomplishment would inspire other students to excel in various fields and activities.

SVIIF is a global platform for showcasing inventions from around the world. The event was attended by participants from 84 countries and 217 teams, who presented their innovative products to an audience that included prominent entrepreneurs and representatives from leading industries. SVIIF is organized by two organizations: the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA) and the Korea Invention Promotion Association (KIPA). (Public Relations)