Students of Thursina International Islamic Boarding School (IIBS) have once again achieved national success. Two students, Firas Isyadan and Nadhif Syahmi Hukama, won gold medals and the Grand Award at the 2025 Indonesian Biology Olympiad (OBI). This achievement also earned them free passes to the International Applied Biology Olympiad, which will be held in Bali, 2026.
Firas, as he is known, has had a keen interest in biology since junior high school, when he decided to pursue a medical degree, a path that brought him closer to the world of biology. For him, biology is not just a series of memorized materials, but a discipline that trains critical, logical, and systematic thinking. "Once you understand the concepts down to their roots, biology makes perfect sense," he said. He credits a year of focused study in biology, shaping his thinking to be more mature and sharper.
Meanwhile, Nadhif Syahmi, a fellow gold medalist, also has a deep interest in biology, grew from his curiosity about everyday life phenomena and how the human body works. He believes biology offers a broad scope for exploring nature scientifically. He believes that studying biology has given him a new perspective on disciplined thinking and precision. "Biology is like a puzzle. The more you study it, the more you see the connections between the concepts," Nadhif said. Biology has provided him with a strong foundation for developing his research interests in the future.
The journey to victory began with information about the competition announced on the Instagram account of ISS, the organizer of OBI, which had previously been introduced to the students. Both students prepared intensively for a month before the preliminary round, studying Campbell General Biology, doing exercises, utilizing the laboratory, and watching instructional videos, while also busy participating in other competitions in Malaysia. Nadhif made similar efforts as well, balancing his time between academic preparation and boarding school activities.
In the preliminary round, Firas qualified despite being ranked lower than the participants from Olympiad-based schools. He remained undeterred and continued his struggle until more challenging semifinals. The two then advanced to the grand final, which consisted of a comprehensive test and a scientific case study. Within an hour, the finalists had to analyze a journal article on rabies and develop a presentation with a solid scientific structure.
Firas initially felt uncertain because one of his answers was off during the question-and-answer session, but the judges deemed his presentation detailed and excellent. "I thought I'd win at least a silver medal, but Alhamdulillah I managed to win a gold medal," he said. Meanwhile, Nadhif admitted the result was a complete great surprise. He said the competition made him even more confident about pursuing biology. "The most valuable thing was the process. From preparation to the final, everything made me even more confident to learn more in this field," he said. The judges also considered his presentation having comprehensive argument and detailed analysis.
Gaining the gold medal, Firas and Nadhif are set to represent Indonesia in international biology competition next year. Their achievements confirm that Thursina IIBS students possess the academic capacity, endurance, and excellent character to compete at both the national and international levels. (nai/lil)
