PANGKALPINANG — The creativity of students in Bangka Belitung took center stage at UT Fest 2026. Through the festival themed “Create, Compete, Connect,” Universitas Terbuka (UT) Pangkalpinang opened an opportunity for students from senior high schools, vocational high schools, Islamic senior high schools, and equivalent institutions to compete while becoming more familiar with higher education options at UT.

UT Fest 2026 featured four competition categories: POV TikTok Video, Digital Poster, Instagram Reels Video, and Vocal Arts in the Male Solo and Female Solo categories. All competitions were free to enter, with cash prizes, trophies, and certificates awarded to the winners.

Director of UT Pangkalpinang Unggul Utan Sufansi said that UT Fest was not merely designed as a competition, but also served as a space for direct interaction between UT and students as prospective university students. Through the event, students could obtain information about UT while gaining a better understanding of the distance education system implemented by the university.

“The objective is clear: to introduce UT. Second, to interact with the community and prospective students, so that they know exactly what UT is like,” Unggul said on Thursday (October 1, 2026).

According to Unggul, direct interaction through activities such as UT Fest complements the outreach efforts that have so far been conducted through print and digital media. Understanding the distance education system is important because UT’s learning model provides flexibility for people with diverse circumstances and backgrounds.

Through this system, UT students can pursue their education without having to relocate or leave their jobs. Opportunities to continue higher education can also be accessed by people facing geographical or distance-related challenges.

“At UT, students do not have to go to education; instead, education comes to the students. They can study while working and do not have to rent a boarding room,” Unggul explained.

He added that broad educational reach is part of UT’s role in providing learning opportunities across various regions of Indonesia, including remote and disadvantaged, frontier, and outermost (Tertinggal, Terdepan, dan Terluar – 3T) areas.

“UT has a responsibility to ensure that the state is present. The state is present not only in cities, but anywhere, including remote areas and 3T regions if necessary,” he said.

The spirit of bringing education closer to the community was then translated by UT Pangkalpinang into activities that are closely connected to the daily lives of the younger generation. Therefore, the competition categories at UT Fest 2026 were designed to provide space for various forms of creativity familiar to students, ranging from video content production and digital design to vocal arts.

“We want to encourage participants’ creativity. Including the singing or vocal arts competition, we want to facilitate those who need a medium to express their abilities and creativity,” Unggul said.

For the Vocal Arts category, the preliminary round is scheduled to take place on October 6–7, 2026, at the UT Pangkalpinang Office. The finalists will then perform on October 9, 2026, at Warunk Milenial Pangkalpinang.

Meanwhile, submissions for the POV TikTok Video, Digital Poster, and Instagram Reels Video categories will remain open until October 6, 2026.

Information about UT Fest has been disseminated through Bangka Pos and various social media channels. UT Pangkalpinang hopes that more students across Bangka Belitung will take advantage of the opportunity to showcase their abilities and best work.

“We want to show that UT is here in Bangka Belitung, so that the community is aware. UT exists to ensure that all citizens have equal opportunities to access higher education,” Unggul said.

Ultimately, UT Fest 2026 brought together two aspirations in one space: encouraging the younger generation to have the courage to create while bringing them closer to opportunities to pursue higher education. This effort is in line with SDG 4 on Quality Education, particularly in expanding access to inclusive and equitable education for the community.