Yogyakarta, March 9, 2026—The Bala Gadjah Mada Team from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Gadjah Mada University (UGM), is promoting sustainable waste management in the communities of North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan, to address the surge in waste in the buffer zone of the Indonesian Capital City (IKN).

Bala Gadjah Mada has promoted “Strengthening the Waste Bank Community” as its social project to address this waste problem. One of Bala Gadjah Mada’s members, Kholifa Tata Suharta, stated that the development of the IKN has impacted the surrounding areas, including the Pemaluan Village. He explained that the volume of waste has increased, while waste management capacity still relies on incineration or burial. read more

Yogyakarta, March 8—The Bala Gadjah Mada Team of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Gadjah Mada University (UGM), restored the Miniature Tropical Rainforest of the National Capital City (IKN) by planting 100 endemic Kalimantan trees with students from SMPN 27 Penajam Paser Utara on February 8, 2026.

The land, which is now the IKN’s Central Government Core Area (KIPP), was previously an industrial forest concession area with eucalyptus monocultures. This plant has a short cutting cycle—six to seven years—and is designated for the paper industry. read more

Yogyakarta, January 22, 2026─The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) of  Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) sent off the National Capital Expedition Team on Wednesday (January 22) at the Faculty’s Dean’s Office. The team will conduct social research in Penajam Paser Utara Regency, East Kalimantan, as part of the students’ academic contribution to development and environmental issues.

The IKN Expedition Team consists of 12 students from five study programs under the Faculty Student Activity Unit Sentrajana. During this expedition, the team will conduct social research in two villages: Pamaluan and Bumi Harapan, with a focus on understanding and identifying environmental issues arising from the development of the National Capital area on the surrounding community. In addition to social research, the team will also conduct various educational campaigns to raise public awareness and concern for the importance of environmental sustainability. read more

Yogyakarta, January 19, 2026—The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FISIPOL UGM), through its commitment to strengthening the research and community service ecosystem, has launched the 2026 Research Grant (HIBAH) Program. Beginning with an online socialization event on Monday (January 19), the Research, Publication, and Community Service Unit (UP3M) presented the latest scheme for the Grant, Facilitation, and Other Funding Program for the 2026 Fiscal Year.

This program, which has been running continuously since 2014, is aimed at lecturers, researchers, and students to encourage the development of quality proposals that contribute to strengthening scientific knowledge and social impact within FISIPOL UGM. FISIPOL UGM continues to evaluate and update its implementation year after year. 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

The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) at Universitas Gadjah Mada, through the Institute of International Studies (IIS), in collaboration with the University of Essex, United Kingdom, is hosting the Networking Conference on Climate Geopolitics and Sustainable Mining Governance on Wednesday (3/9) at the FISIPOL Dean’s Meeting Room.

The two-day international conference, held on September 3–4, 2025, brings together around 12 academics and practitioners from various countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and South Africa. The participants engage in intensive discussions on sustainable mining governance amid the dynamics of global climate geopolitics. read more

Yogyakarta, September 3, 2025—As countries around the world navigate the challenge of fostering growth and addressing climate change, the governance of the mining sector will have profound implications for environmental sustainability, economic growth, and social justice. Addressing this issue, the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) of Gadjah Mada University (UGM), sponsored by the Academy of Medical Sciences, together with the University of Essex, as well as leading universities and institutes in Australia, South Africa, Kenya, and Europe, collaboratively hosted a networking conference titled “Climate Geopolitics and Sustainable Mining Governance” on September 3-4, 2025. 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

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

Climate change is not a problem that centers on a single root cause. Collaboration and understanding are needed, as systems greatly influence their impact. Government policy is key to ensuring that this issue does not create deeper divisions between communities. Instead, good national policy in addressing climate change must be inclusive and equitable.

Patra added that, like it or not, many climate change challenges need to be prepared for. This is especially true as global support in the financial sector is beginning to shift towards this issue. However, climate action in Indonesia has grown organically within communities. This means that public awareness of climate change has already started to grow. The government must be able to formulate grassroots-based policies that can reach the smallest units of society. read more