Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESASS) Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) participated in the ACICIS NGO Fair 2025 on Thursday, 21 August 2025, at the front area of Margono Building (Greenland), Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM. Organized by Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies (ACICIS) and supported by the Australian Government, the fair brought together leading NGOs in Yogyakarta to introduce internship and volunteer opportunities.

CESASS UGM welcomed more than 50 local and international visitors to its booth. Visitors were introduced to the ongoing programs, research activities, and opportunities for students and partners to get involved.

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Yogyakarta, January 20, 2025 – The Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESASS) at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) hosted a delegation from the Asian School of Business (ASB)-MIT Sloan School of Management, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Melati Nungsari, Faculty Director of the ASEAN Research Center. Accompanying her were Ms. Shre Maha Manohar, Research & Communications Executive, and Ms. Fatimah Zahra Ros’azam, Research Associate. The visit marks a significant step in fostering academic exchange and exploring collaborative opportunities between the two institutions.

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The Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESASS) at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) successfully held the 17th International Asian Urbanization Conference (IAUC) from January 14 to 16, 2025. The conference, themed “Rethinking Sustainable Urban Development and Urban Futures in the Digital Age,” took place at Prime Plaza Hotel Sanur, Bali. The IAUC was chaired by Prof. Dr. Rini Rachmawati, S.Si., M.T., Director of CESASS UGM. The event was supported by the Asian Urban Research Association (AURA) and the Faculty of Geography UGM. It attracted significant international academic attention, with a total of 59 abstracts, 31 presenters, and 6 participants from 9 countries: Indonesia, the United States, Germany, Romania, France, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, and Taiwan.

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Prof. Dr. Rini Rachmawati, S.Si., M.T., Head of Centre for Southeast Asian Social Studies (PSSAT) UGM, became a speaker at the Global Immersion Guarantee (GIG) Program UGM, ACICIS, and Monash University, on 10 January 2025. He delivered the material “Urbanisation, Smart City, and Cases of Indonesia (IKN and Kali Code)”.

The event was attended by students and lecturers from Monash University.

Yogyakarta, 19 December 2024 – The Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESASS) Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) warmly welcomed Prof. James Robson, Director of the Harvard-Yenching Institute (HYI), and Dr. Ruohong Li, Associate Director of HYI. The visit marked a strategic step for HYI, which has primarily focused on East Asia, to expand its academic connections and initiatives to Southeast Asia. HYI is a prestigious institution supporting academic development in the Social Sciences and Humanities across Asia. It hosts Visiting Scholars and Fellows through its funded research programs at Harvard University.

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Yogyakarta, 3 December 2024 – The Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESASS) Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) successfully hosted the GEO-PW Webinar Series on IKN Development #5 and a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) titled “Creative, Innovative, and Smart Sustainable City Concept for the Capital City.” This event, part of the Indonesian Collaborative Research (RKI) initiative, was organized with the support of the Smart City, Village, and Region Study Group and the Urban Development Study Group, both from the Faculty of Geography, UGM.

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Yogyakarta, November 26, 2024 — The Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESASS) Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) successfully held a dissemination event for the 2024 Public Satisfaction Survey (SKM) on Infrastructure Services in Yogyakarta City. The program, organized in collaboration with the Dinas Pekerjaan Umum, Perumahan, dan Kawasan Permukiman (DPUPKP) Kota Yogyakarta, aimed to present findings and recommendations to improve service quality for the local community.

The event, hosted on the second floor of the CESASS UGM office, was officially opened by Prof. Dr. Rini Rachmawati, S.Si., M.T., Head of CESASS UGM and Chair of the 2024 SKM Team for Yogyakarta City. Distinguished speakers included Umi Akhsanti, S.T., M.T. (Kepala DPUPKP Kota Yogyakarta), Erna Susanti, S.E. (Sekretaris DPUPKP Kota Yogyakarta), and Nini Yuniarti, S.E. (Perencana Ahli Muda DPUPKP Kota Yogyakarta). The session was also attended by survey assistants and data collectors, primarily graduate students from UGM’s Master of Urban and Regional Planning program.

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Yogyakarta, November 20, 2024 — The Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESASS) UGM successfully organized a virtual general discussion titled “The Impact of the BRICS Factor on Contemporary Prospects of Indonesia-Russia Relations.” This event explored the influence of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) on global geopolitics and its implications for Indonesia’s relationship with Russia.

Drs. Muhadi Sugiono, M.A., from CESASS UGM, as a speaker was joined by Dr. Luqman-nul Hakim from the Institute of International Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada, and Dr. Ekaterina Koldunova from the ASEAN Centre at MGIMO University, Russia. The discussion provided valuable insights into BRICS as a platform for international cooperation, emphasizing its potential to address pressing global issues and foster bilateral engagements between member countries.

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Yogyakarta, November 15, 2024 — The Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESASS) UGM is pleased to announce the participation of Prof. Dr. Rini Rachmawati, S.Si., M.T., Head of CESASS UGM, as a speaker in the recent Policy Discussion Forum on Demand-Based Transportation Services. Organized by Obviously Sustainable in partnership with Grab, the event took place in Jakarta and focused on advancing insights into smart transportation and sustainable urban development.

Prof. Rini presented on the topic, “Smart City: Smart Transportation (Mobility) and Sustainability”, where she shared her expertise on the integration of smart technology into urban transport systems. Her presentation highlighted the crucial role of data-driven mobility solutions in supporting sustainable city growth, enhancing urban efficiency, and improving residents’ quality of life. Attendees included policymakers, industry representatives, and researchers, all working toward a shared vision of smart and sustainable urban transportation.

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Yogyakarta, October 22, 2024 – The Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESASS) UGM held a Research Publication and Journal Management Training on Tuesday  (22/10). This event served as a platform for enhancing the knowledge and skills of participants in academic publishing and journal management.

The event was officially opened by the Head of CESASS UGM, Prof. Dr. Rini Rachmawati, S.Si., M.T., who delivered an opening remark emphasizing the importance of mastering the processes of research dissemination through high-quality journal publications.

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