Yogyakarta, August 18, 2026—Marking the start of the Fall Semester 2026/2027, the Department of Politics and Government (DPP) at Universitas Gadjah Mada held a semester-opening public lecture featuring four early-career lecturers who shared the stories behind their respective dissertation research. The event highlighted the research processes undertaken, the findings produced, and the contributions offered to the advancement of knowledge and public policy.

Kicking off the presentations, Dr. A. Sudiana Sasmita outlined his dissertation, which examines the relationship between ethnicity and democracy in West Papua through a comparative case study of South Sorong and Keerom Regencies. His fieldwork findings demonstrate that the relationship between ethnicity and democracy is not necessarily negative—contrary to common assumptions in mainstream political literature. Instead, his research reveals that ethnic politics in West Papua can coexist with democratic participation. “Although transmigrant groups are numerically dominant, they collectively support Indigenous Papuan (OAP) candidates to ensure stability, security, asset protection, and bureaucratic continuity. In return, strategic positions within the bureaucratic hierarchy are made available to non-Papuan migrant groups,” he stated. read more