OlympiAR 2026 Encourages Young Talent to Develop Green Industry Solutions
Hundreds of students from various Indonesian universities are participating in OlympiAR 2026, a competition designed to test participants’ ability to resolve case studies within the mining industry. Organised by PT Agincourt Resources, the competition focuses on the theme of environmental protection and ecosystem resilience in mining activities.
The opening of OlympiAR 2026 was held at the East Hall of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) on Friday (4/9/2026). Participants from various departments related to the mining industry were challenged to apply critical analysis to solve the provided problems.
PT Agincourt Resources Director of Operations, Rahmat Lubis, stated that OlympiAR is a student competition that serves as part of the company’s social responsibility initiatives. In addition to the competition, the company also conducts other activities such as education and scholarship programmes.
“It was previously called e-Coaching Camp, but after involving thousands of students, the format was upgraded to OlympiAR,” he said during his opening remarks at the ITB East Hall.
The last OlympiAR was held two years ago and involved 600 students from 28 universities across Indonesia. Rahmat noted that the competition provides a space for students to gain perspectives from practitioners working directly in the industry.
“We believe we can always provide experience from the corporate side. There may be different perspectives from what students learn on campus when they interact with us as field practitioners,” he said.
Rahmat mentioned that the first-place winner would receive a cash prize of Rp50 million. In addition to the prize, participants have the opportunity to gain experience through mentoring processes and interaction with industry professionals.
During the event, Rahmat also touched upon a new discourse regarding the management of mineral reserves with greater consideration for environmental aspects. One idea discussed at a mining industry conference in Australia involves keeping gold reserves underground while still assigning economic value to them.
“Perhaps in the next 10–20 years, gold mines, for example, will no longer need to be excavated. I was surprised when it was suggested that since we know how much gold we have, we can simply leave it underground while maintaining its economic value,” he said.
He likened this concept to a bank deposit, where the value of an asset can be calculated and traded without the need for physical extraction.
“It is wealth that can be traded; everyone can calculate it, and there are ways to calculate it. But it doesn’t need to be dug up. You get the money, but you don’t need to mine,” he said.
According to Rahmat, this idea is one of the new paradigms that could encourage the mining industry to pay more attention to environmental aspects. However, he emphasised that the concept remains a discourse and is currently theoretical.
“We see many new paradigms in the mining industry. We are also trying to implement this in our company, especially regarding matters related to the environment in the future,” he said.
In line with this theme, OlympiAR 2026 carries the theme “Ore Body to Ecosystems: Integrating Mining Performance and Environmental Resilience”. PT Agincult Resources is collaborating with the Indonesian Economic Geology Society (MGEI) to organise the competition.
Participants receive mentoring from field practitioners, work on industry case studies, and participate in paper writing and presentation competitions. The competition also offers opportunities for participants to gain internship experience at PT Agincourt Resources.
“We want to bridge the theory that students receive from expert lecturers on campus with our perspectives as field practitioners. The winners will not only receive financial prizes but, God willing, can intern at PT AR. If their performance is good, they could certainly join our team,” he said.
The Mayor of Bandung, M. Farhan, noted that OlympiAR helps bring the academic world and industry needs together. He stated that Bandung and ITB serve as ideal locations to scout students with expertise in geology and related sciences.
“We are proud that Bandung and ITB have been chosen as venues to scout and test the best talents in the fields of geology and other related sciences in Indonesia,” he said.
Farhan expressed hope that the synergy between industry and academia will continue, as such activities can encourage the emergence of mining professionals who possess both technical skills and an understanding of environmental resilience.