Yogyakarta, April 20, 2026─The Visiting Scholar Program at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has reached its conclusion. For nearly a month (March 30 – April 21, 2026), the program held a series of events ranging from a public lecture, a master class titled “Melawat ke Asia” (Visiting Asia), a doctoral student workshop themed “Comparative Southeast Asia”, a methodological workshop on “Doing Field Research in Southeast Asia”, to the concluding seminar titled “Napak Tilas Alm. Ben Anderson di Bangkok” (Retracing the Footsteps of the Late Ben Anderson in Bangkok).
The Vice Dean for Research and Community Service, Cooperation, and Alumni, Fina Itriyati, Ph.D., emphasized the urgency of today’s agenda for the next generation of researchers in her opening remarks. “I think it is important for the young students to get to know Ben Anderson in detail and to see how Dr. Budi will dissect Ben’s thoughts, especially when related to the current socio-political developments in Indonesia,” she advised.
The seminar served as a reflective dialogue space for the academic community to commemorate and delve into the intellectual footprints of the late Benedict Richard O’Gorman Anderson, one of the most prominent political science experts, during his life in Bangkok. Through his presentation, Dr. Budi invited the participants to retrace this intellectual legacy to enrich the perspectives of political studies in the Southeast Asian region.
Dr. Budi illustrated how foreign institutions such as Thammasat University, Thailand, practiced experiential learning methods in area studies late last year through a study tour program titled “Footprint of Ben Anderson in Bali and East Java”. By going directly to the field, tracing the exact routes, and observing the socio-political landscape spatially, students can directly experience the historical context that shaped a prominent figure’s thoughts.
Recognizing the effectiveness of this learning method, Dr. Budi expressed his support for the faculty should they wish to develop a similar program in the future. “To conclude this story, I am proposing the idea of a study tour retracing Ben Anderson’s footsteps in Bangkok. I am willing to be the guide, to further deepen our Southeast Asian studies,” said Dr. Budi, ending the first session.
The event then proceeded with a discussion between the participants and Dr. Budi. Several participants shared research experiences similar to what had been presented, while others voiced their concerns regarding the current socio-political conditions in Indonesia and sought to hear Dr. Budi’s perspectives. This two-way communication within the academic environment serves as a testament to the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences’ commitment to continuously creating inclusive discussion spaces and providing quality education.