The Soenario Kolopaking Team from the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has won first place in the National Student Scientific Article Competition at the Sociology Competition of Unesa (SOCIUS) 2025, organized by Universitas Negeri Surabaya (UNESA). The competition ran from June 10 to August 3, 2025, and was participated in by eight universities from across Indonesia.

The Soenario Kolopaking Team consists of Nurima Setianingrum and Afkaar Nabil Falah. Under the guidance of Gregorius Ragil Wibawanto, M.A., the team successfully presented their scientific paper titled “The Public Between the State and the Market: The Struggle of Female Online Ojek Drivers in Layered and Persistent Vulnerability.” read more

Bevaola Kusumasari, Ph.D., a lecturer from the Department of Management and Public Policy (DMKP), Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) UGM, has once again demonstrated her contribution to the international academic arena. She recently published a scholarly article entitled “Local Government Financial Performance and Decentralization in Indonesia.”

This publication examines the financial performance of local governments in the context of decentralization in Indonesia. Drawing on data analysis from 66 cities and in-depth interviews in 4 cities, the study highlights how financial performance measures—such as degrees of decentralization, independence, direct spending, and local revenue growth—are used to evaluate local financial governance. read more

One of the lecturers from the Department of International Relations (DIHI), Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) UGM, Suci Lestari Yuana, Ph.D., has once again achieved international academic recognition. Together with her collaborators, she has recently published a scholarly article in the prestigious journal Annual Review of Environment and Resources, titled “Transformative Innovation Policy: An Analytical Review of Key Methods and Challenges.”

The article discusses Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP), a new generation of innovation policy designed to address increasingly complex social and environmental challenges—from energy and food crises to mobility systems that remain entrenched in unsustainable modes of production and consumption. The authors emphasize that merely improving technologies or financial instruments is no longer sufficient. Systemic innovations and transformative policies are needed to enable just transitions, ensuring both social justice and planetary health. read more

In its development, Ecoxyztem has mapped out the main problems encountered when pioneering ecopreneurship. First, there is a methodological knowledge gap—a lack of in-depth understanding of information, particularly regarding business value mismatches, a lack of literacy regarding investment and equity, etc. Second, there is a lack of access to risk capital—start-ups need investor encouragement to accelerate their planned programs. Third, it is challenging to navigate market barriers. Many cases show that product makers cannot create products that meet market demand, making it difficult to penetrate the market. read more

Vandy Yoga Swara, lecturer at the Department of Social Development and Welfare (PSdK), Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) Universitas Gadjah Mada, has recently published his latest scholarly work in the international journal Habitat International (Elsevier). The article, titled “River’s End: The Violence of Indigenous Riverine Urbanization in the Making of Indonesia’s New Capital,” was co-authored with Kei Otsuki and Femke van Noorloos (Utrecht University, Netherlands) as well as Michelle Kooy (IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education, Netherlands). read more

Yogyakarta, 6 August 2025 — The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) at Universitas Gadjah Mada hosted the selection process for village officials (pamong) of Guwosari Village, Pajangan District, Bantul Regency. Held at the Big Data Room and the PolGov Meeting Room, this activity reflects the tangible contribution of the Department of Politics and Government (DPP) at FISIPOL UGM in strengthening inclusive, participatory, and high-quality village governance.

The selection opened four positions: three hamlet chiefs (dukuh) and one kamituwa. The process involved multiple stages, including psychological testing, written exams, in-depth interviews, and the delivery of speeches in Javanese. Each stage was designed to assess candidates’ personal competencies, administrative capacity, and understanding of local culture. read more

Yogyakarta, 6 August 2025 — One of the highlights of the opening day of PIONIR SOCIETY 2025 was Jelajah FISIPOL, an interactive learning activity designed to comprehensively introduce new students, known as Gamada, to the FISIPOL UGM campus environment.

In this program, Gamada were guided by co-facilitators as they explored various corners of the faculty. The route began at FISIPOL Smart Park, continued to Sansiro Park, an open green space often used by students for discussions, relaxation, or informal gatherings. read more

Yogyakarta, August 6, 2025—As part of its green campus commitment, the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) of Gadjah Mada University (UGM) distributed free tumblers to 627 new students on Wednesday (6/8). The tumbler distribution ceremony, part of the PIONIR SOCIETY 2025 opening ceremony, was presented directly by the Dean of FISIPOL UGM, Dr. Wawan Mas’udi, to six new student representatives from each department.

In his remarks, Wawan conveyed this effort as a form of the faculty’s contribution to creating an environmentally friendly campus environment. “This is one form of FISIPOL’s commitment to creating a sustainable campus environment,” he explained. read more

Megashift FISIPOL UGM has released a new article titled “Seeking Alternatives to the Dominance of Economic Logic in Indonesia’s Development.” The piece offers a critical reflection on Indonesia’s national development agenda, which has long been centered on economic growth, investment, and macro-financial indicators.

The article emphasizes the importance of pursuing alternative development approaches that prioritize social welfare and environmental sustainability. Rather than relying solely on economic logic, it advocates for an integrative approach that incorporates social values, local wisdom, and participatory democracy into policy formulation. read more

Two lecturers from the Department of Politics and Government (DPP), Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) Universitas Gadjah Mada, Arie Ruhyanto and Amalinda Savirani, have once again achieved academic recognition through their latest publication in the reputable Asian Journal of Political Science, published by Routledge (Taylor & Francis). The article, titled “Comparing Village Politics Across Time and Space,” was co-authored with Edward Aspinall and Ward Berenschot.

The article offers a profound comparative study of village politics in Indonesia, examining not only geographical differences but also temporal changes. The authors explore how practices of power, patronage relations, and political participation at the village level have evolved across different periods and regions. read more