Yogyakarta, June 15, 2026 — The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) expanded its academic reach at the international level on Monday (15/6) through an event titled “International Visit and Discussion with the Indo-Pacific Research Centre (IPRC), Murdoch University, Australia”. This important meeting was held offline and took place in the Dean’s Meeting Room BB 208, BB Building, FISIPOL UGM.
This activity served as a crucial momentum for both parties to understand each other’s research ecosystems while formulating various potential collaborations, particularly in responding to the socio-political dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region. To ensure the discussion ran comprehensively and on target, the series of events on that day was divided into two main, continuous sessions.
The first session began with a Welcoming Session attended directly by the deanery leaders of FISIPOL UGM, namely Prof. Poppy Sulistyaning Winanti as the Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, alongside Fina Itriyati, Ph.D. as the Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation, and Alumni. Meanwhile, from Murdoch University, the delegation was led by two prominent academics, Professor Jacqueline Lo, who serves as the Director of IPRC, and Professor Ian Wilson.
During the session, Fina Itriyati, Ph.D., warmly welcomed the meeting and emphasized the importance of developing concrete collaborative programs moving forward.
“Now we can meet again for further collaboration, especially on the new plan to conduct teaching exchanges or teaching staff mobility. I think it’s a very good idea because we already did it for another sub-mobility program in other universities and it worked very well,” Fina stated.
Furthermore, Fina highlighted that the solid track record of partnership and the geographical proximity between the two institutions are plus points in this collaboration.
“I think between UGM and Murdoch University, we already have so many collaborations, and because we are so close geographically, we can feel the Australian ambiance and also the high quality of the academic atmosphere. We want to expand our collaboration with Murdoch University. So I think, we can go to Murdoch for teaching, mobility, or for sharing conversations, as well as finishing our manuscripts, and we can have fun doing that. I think if you can share your office and also your network, it would be very beneficial for us,” she added.
After the institutional-level discussions concluded, the agenda immediately continued with the second session, which was a Matchmaking Session. This follow-up session was specifically designed to bridge the academic steps of students interested in pursuing further studies at the Doctoral (Ph.D.) level. Through this interactive forum, prospective Ph.D. students had the exclusive opportunity to consult directly with prospective supervisors from Murdoch University.
Overall, this series of international visits and discussions aimed to introduce and deeply explore various strategic cooperation opportunities between FISIPOL UGM and IPRC Murdoch University. More than just a formal meeting, this agenda is expected not only to be a stepping stone for the birth of impactful collaborative research but also to actively facilitate FISIPOL UGM students in preparing for their doctoral study journeys in the global arena.