New Release: Megashift FISIPOL UGM Article

“Satirical Comedy in the Digital Public Sphere: A Contemporary Form of Political Participation”
By: Ardi Muhammad Rifqi
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Megashift FISIPOL UGM has published a fresh article exploring how satirical comedy on social media has become a creative and powerful form of political participation in today’s digital era. Written by Ardi Muhammad Rifqi, the article dissects how humor, memes, and stand-up comedy content are reshaping political discourse in Indonesia.

The article highlights three main drivers behind the rise of satire: the accessibility of social media platforms, the growing popularity of stand-up comedy, and restrictions on free expression under regulations like the ITE Law. Within this context, satire emerges as a safe yet sharp tool for citizens to voice criticism and hold political actors accountable. read more

Yogyakarta, 29 Agustus 2025─The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FISIPOL UGM), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yamanashi Eiwa College, Japan, marking a new chapter in their long-standing academic partnership.

The MoU was signed by Prof. Toshiya Tsukamoto, President of Yamanashi Eiwa College, alongside Dr. Wawan Mas’udi, Dean of FISIPOL UGM, as representatives of the two institutions.

Founded in 1889, Yamanashi Eiwa College is a liberal arts institution with a strong tradition of global education, offering programs in psychology, library science, ICT, and global studies. Despite its small size, with around 600 students, the college has an international student body, comprising 13% from Asia, including Indonesia. read more

Yogyakarta, August 28, 2025—The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) welcomed a group of participants from the Training on the Preparation of Strategic Plans (Renstra) for Regional Government Agencies of Bogor Regency. The program, facilitated by the Center for Capacity Development and Cooperation (PPKK) FISIPOL UGM, was designed as a campus tour and took place on Thursday morning (28/8).

The visit began with explorations to several faculties at UGM, including the Faculty of Forestry and the Faculty of Law, before concluding at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL). At FISIPOL UGM, the participants were welcomed by the Executive Secretary of PPKK, Dr. Pradhikna Yunik, followed by a presentation from Dr. Maharani Hapsari titled “Building Regional Competitiveness: Mapping Economic Potential and Innovation Based on Science and Technology.” read more

Yogyakarta, August 27, 2025—The FISIPOL UGM Library once again demonstrated its commitment to supporting academic activities by inviting Library Coordinator, Yuli Hesti Wahyuningsih, S.IP., as a guest lecturer in an Academic Writing class in the Department of International Relations. The event took place in two separate sessions, with the main topic being the library’s facilities and access, which have been transformed into a modern digital library.

In the first session, on Wednesday (August 27) from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. WIB in room BA 301, the Library Coordinator delivered a lecture on “Facilities and Access to the FISIPOL UGM Library.” This lecture was intended for regular students of the Undergraduate Program in International Relations. In her presentation, the Library Coordinator explained the various facilities available at the FISIPOL Library, including how academics can access digital collections to support their learning and research needs. read more

Yogyakarta, August 27, 2025 – The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FISIPOL UGM), today graduated 216 undergraduate students during the 4th Graduation Period of the 2024/2025 Academic Year.

The graduates came from six departments, as follows:

• International Relations (57 graduates)

• Communication Science (65 graduates)

• Public Policy and Management (28 graduates)

• Social Development and Welfare (31 graduates)

• Politics and Government (19 graduates)

• Sociology (16 graduates)

For this period, Hanung Abdul Muqqit Ramadhan Anwar from the Department of Communication Science was named the Faculty’s Best Graduate with a GPA of 3.97 and a study duration of 3 years, 7 months, and 25 days. read more

The Institute of International Studies (IIS), Department of International Relations, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), organized an enumerator training on Tuesday, August 26. This activity is part of a two-year research project titled Connect, Defend, and Act! (CDA), initiated by Hivos and the Humanis Foundation, with support from Norad – Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.

The training was designed to equip enumerators with skills in data collection, coding techniques, and interview methods to monitor the condition of civic space and democracy in Indonesia. The sessions were delivered by Daniel Petz and Nadya Zafira, both experienced in research on civil society and human rights issues. read more

Dr. Nurhadi, lecturer at the Department of Social Development and Welfare (PSDK), Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FISIPOL UGM), participated in a visiting scholar program at BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from August 6–15, 2025. The program aims to strengthen international academic collaboration, particularly in poverty alleviation studies through the Graduation Approach.

BRAC University was chosen due to its close connection with BRAC International, the institution that pioneered the Graduation Approach in the early 2000s. Today, this method has become a global reference in poverty reduction strategies, including in Indonesia. read more

Two Sociology lecturers from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FISIPOL UGM), Oki Rahadianto Sutopo and Fuji Riang Prastowo, have contributed their latest academic work to an internationally renowned reference book, The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems.

In their chapter entitled “Young People and Inequality in Indonesia”, they examine how social inequalities in Indonesia generate a series of social, economic, and political challenges for the younger generation. Despite Indonesia’s high universal literacy and numeracy rates, social mobility remains limited, and youth wages are still low—particularly since more than half of the domestic economy operates in the informal sector. read more

The Creative Hub (CHub) of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FISIPOL UGM), organized a Knowledge Exchange Program titled “Tech for Earth: Sustainable Enterprises for the Future” on Friday, August 22. This online event was part of the CHub Batch 9 Talent Pitching series, which focuses on fostering social entrepreneurship in the context of sustainability challenges.

The webinar explored the theme of Future-Fit, an approach that emphasizes social justice, economic inclusion, and environmental restoration and protection as foundations for a sustainable future. Technology, in this discussion, was positioned not merely as a tool but as a key infrastructure that supports systems—accelerating innovation, expanding impact, and building adaptive and collaborative mechanisms aligned with sustainability principles. read more

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. read more