Yogyakarta, August 23, 2025—The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), in collaboration with the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), a Jakarta-based international think tank, held an international workshop titled “Asian Regional Approaches Towards Digital Trade Governance” on Saturday (August 23).
The workshop brought together researchers, academics, and practitioners from eight countries: Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The event was held in a hybrid format at the BB Building, FISIPOL UGM.
The event opened with a keynote speech from Prof. Inkyo Cheong, former Minister of Trade of South Korea, and was attended by Prof. Fukunari Kimura, President of IDE-JETRO Japan. From FISIPOL UGM, remarks were delivered by Dr. The workshop was led by Fina Itriyati, Vice Dean for Research, Publication, Community Service, and Alumni, and accompanied by Prof. Poppy S. Winanti, Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs.
This workshop discussed the rapid digitalization that brings significant opportunities for Asian economic development, as well as how the use of digital solutions in international business can lower market barriers, reduce transaction and distribution costs, and expand companies’ access to global markets.
During the discussion, the speakers addressed various important issues related to digital trade governance, ranging from personal data protection and artificial intelligence (AI) policies to cross-border trade facilitation. Furthermore, the forum also raised strategic policy questions, including how to encourage digital industrialization, strengthen MSME inclusion, accelerate technology transfer, narrow development gaps, address the digital divide, and enhance human resource capacity in the region.
Through this workshop, the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) UGM, together with ERIA, strives to provide a space for international collaboration that can enrich perspectives and strengthen regional cooperation in building inclusive, equitable, and sustainable digital trade governance in Asia.