Yogyakarta, October 1st 2025 – Seventy years after the historic event of Bandung Conference in 1955, where twenty nine leaders from Asia and Africa united against colonialism and formulated a new vision for the world, the spirit of Bandung remains relevant today. The Institute of International Studies (IIS), Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), carries this spirit forward by organizing the Annual Convention on the Global South (GO SOUTH 2025) on October 1–2, 2025. This convention will be held offline at the campus of UGM, Yogyakarta, and carries the theme: “70 Years of the Bandung Spirit: Re-invigorating the Decolonial Struggle amidst Geopolitical Turbulence.” This convention will be a forum dedicated to examining the dynamics of the Global South, which continues to evolve amid the complexity of the current global geopolitical and economic situation. read more

Yogyakarta, September 25th 2025 – The Student Council (Dema) of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) is once again organizing its annual Arts Week program, which will take place from September 22 to 26, 2025, at the Sansiro Park, FISIPOL UGM. This year, the Arts Week carries the theme “The Confluence of Memory Through Form and Method” as a collective space to remember and express resistance against human rights violations, which remain a shared wound. read more

Yogyakarta, 24 September 2025–Prof. Vedi Hadiz, an Indonesian professor at Melbourne University, was the guest of honor at a public lecture held by the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol) at Universitas Gadjah Mada on Wednesday (25/9). His visit discussed how the world has entered an era of Popular Discontent, where public dissatisfaction with the fulfillment of rights and services has led to a decline in trust in government institutions and the democratic system.

Popular Discontent literally means “popular dissatisfaction” and represents the feelings of dissatisfaction among the public, which are largely triggered by social, economic, and political issues. Vedi began his public lecture by stating that today’s democracy is far from what was once hoped for. Democracy should be able to accommodate the public interest, but instead, it has created gaps and inequalities. read more

Yogyakarta, 12 September 2025 — The International Relations Student Corps (KOMAHI) of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) at Universitas Gadjah Mada officially opened the International Relations English Competition (IREC) 2025, a prestigious annual event for high school students across Indonesia. Over three days, from 12–14 September 2025, participants showcase their English proficiency while deepening their understanding of pressing global issues.

The event began with a keynote lecture by Arief Rizky Bakhtiar, Senior Officer for Analysis and Monitoring on Trade, Industry, and Emerging Issues at ASEAN, who offered insightful perspectives on regional trade dynamics, industry trends, and key strategic issues. read more

Yogyakarta, September 9, 2025–Universitas Gadjah Mada officially inaugurates Prof. Dr. Drs. Dafri Agussalim, M.A. as professor in the field of global leadership and human rights diplomacy in ASEAN at the Department of International Relations.

The inauguration ceremony brought a speech titled “Building and Strengthening Cosmopolitan Nationalism for the Fulfillment, Advancement, Respect, and Protection of Human Rights”. In the speech, Prof. Dafri Agussalim highlighted the importance of global human rights protection as a part of our collective responsibility, irrespective of state borders, citizenship, socio-economic status, or other individual attributes. read more

FISIPOL UGM has once again added to its roster of Professors. Prof. Dr. Dafri Agussalim, M.A., lecturer at the Department of International Relations (DIHI), has been officially inaugurated as a Professor in the field of Human Rights Diplomacy in ASEAN and Global Political Leadership.

This inauguration marks an important milestone, not only for Prof. Dafri personally but also for FISIPOL UGM in strengthening its academic contributions at both the national and international levels. As a scholar who has long been engaged in the study of international relations, democracy, and human rights, Prof. Dafri underscored the importance of human rights diplomacy as an instrument to drive change in the region and to enhance Indonesia’s role in global political leadership. 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

New Release: Megashift FISIPOL UGM Article
“Digital Orchestration for Indonesian Agriculture: From WhatsApp Workflow to Food Security”
By: Setiawan Guntoro

Megashift FISIPOL UGM has once again published an article that sparks discussion on the future of agriculture and food security in Indonesia. This piece highlights a simple yet revolutionary idea: how an everyday app like WhatsApp can become the backbone of agricultural digitalization.

The article sheds light on a long-standing issue in agriculture, particularly in broiler farming: the slow flow of field data from farms to management, which often leads to delayed and risky decision-making. Many agritech startups have failed because their applications did not match farmers’ habits. However, WhatsApp—used by 9 out of 10 Indonesians—emerges as an alternative solution. 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

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