Saturday, August 10, 2024, marked a significant milestone with the successful launch of the Poisson Statistics Competition 2024. This annual event, organized by the Student Activity Unit Forum for Statistical Information and Studies (Forkas) in collaboration with the Student Executive Board (BEM) of Politeknik Statistika STIS, returned with renewed spirit, challenging participants to sharpen their reasoning and creativity through a range of competitions held in a healthy, critical, and constructive manner.

This year, the Poisson Statistics Competition attracted 168 teams from across Indonesia and abroad. A total of 50 teams will compete in the Statistics Olympiad, 29 participants in the Statistical Infographic category, and 90 teams in the Official Statistics Competition. The event also gained international attention, particularly in the Statistical Infographics category, with participants from South Korea, Turkey, and Indonesia. Meanwhile, the Statistics Olympiad saw participation from 18 universities, and the Official Statistics Challenge involved 49 high schools from various regions of Indonesia.

Under the theme "Miracle: Maximizing Impactful Roles of Official Statistics for Sustainable Development Goals", Poisson 2024 aims to highlight the crucial role of official statistics in supporting the global achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Innovative Breakthroughs to Broaden Impact

This year’s competition introduces two new innovations that have received widespread appreciation.
The first innovation is the launch of the Official Statistics Competition for high school students (SMA/MA equivalent). This initiative is designed to introduce official statistics to younger generations, fostering future statistical professionals.

The second innovation is the opening of international registration for the Statistics Infographic category, allowing participation from university students worldwide. This move aims to expand the competition’s reach beyond Indonesia and strengthen its global presence.

“On behalf of the leadership and the entire academic community at Polstat STIS, we express our appreciation. These innovations are expected to broaden the impact of statistics on a global scale,” stated Yunarso Anang, Ph.D., Vice Director for Student Affairs at Politeknik Statistika STIS, in his remarks.

International Judges Add Prestige to the Event

One of the highlights of Poisson 2024 is the presence of international judges.
Alison Baily, International Programme Manager - Data Science for Official Statistics (United Kingdom), and Veronika Vilgis, Ph.D., Head of Insight at Dataprovider.com and former Data Science Consultant for the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), will serve as judges in the competition. Their involvement is expected to bring valuable international perspectives to the evaluation process and further strengthen global statistical collaboration.

Voices of Encouragement from the Organizers

Muh Farhan, Acting President of BEM Politeknik Statistika STIS 2023/2024, expressed his appreciation for the enthusiasm of participants from both domestic and international universities, as well as high school students across Indonesia:

“I truly appreciate the enthusiasm of all participants, whether from universities at home and abroad, or our high school students who have enlivened Poisson 2024,” he said.

La Ode Rafiq Zandik, Chairperson of the Poisson Statistics Competition 2023/2024, also encouraged the participants:

“I hope Poisson Statistics Competition runs smoothly until the final event, the Closing Ceremony. Best of luck to all participants. See you at the blue campus of Politeknik Statistika STIS,” he concluded.

The event was also attended by Dr. Ribut Nurul Tri Wahyuni, SST., MSE., as the advisor of UKM Forkas, and Dr. Gama Putra Danu Sohibien, S.ST., M.Si, as the faculty advisor of the Poisson Statistics Competition 2024 committee.

With thorough preparation and enthusiastic participants, Poisson Statistics Competition 2024 is expected to be a prestigious event that not only enhances academic skills but also strengthens the role of statistics in supporting sustainable development for the future.