Busan, December 2, 2025 — Women scholars and leaders from ASEAN Member Countries (AMCs), including Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Lao, Cambodia, and Vietnam, signed Busan Global Women’s Policy Network. Together with South Korea and the Republic of Kazakhstan, the joint declaration shared a commitment to a sustainable and gender equal future.

Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals—especially Goal 5 (Gender Equality) and Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)—the network functions as a collaborative platform to promote women’s rights, economic empowerment, leadership, and inclusive education. It also supports Busan’s vision to become a global hub for international cooperation on women’s development. read more

Yogyakarta, November 28, 2025 — “Aquaculture and mangrove clearance sit at the intersection of Indonesia’s primary development challenges: food insecurity, intransigent poverty, and climate instability.” This issue formed the central discussion of CESASS-CHAT #4, hosted by the Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM).

The session featured Edward Atkinson, a student of International Security Studies and Development Studies at the Australian National University (ANU). He delivered a presentation on the topic of “Aquaculture and Climate Resilience in Indonesia”.  read more

Yogyakarta, November 17, 2025 — Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM), represented by the Head of the Program and Publication, Dr. phil. Vissia Ita Yulianto, hosted a visit by Dr. Rizanna Rosemary from Pusat Riset Ilmu Sosial dan Budaya (Research Center for Social and Cultural Studies) at Universitas Syiah Kuala (PRISB USK).

Dr. Rizanna introduced USK’s new Master’s Program in Peace and Conflict Resolution (MDRK), rooted in Aceh’s historical experience in peacebuilding and social transformation. She also invited CESASS to collaborate through guest lectures, joint seminars, academic exchanges, or research partnerships. read more

Thailand, November 13, 2025 — The former Director of CESASS UGM, Prof. Dr. Rini Rachmawati, S.Si., M.T. and Nurina Aulia Haris met with representatives from Puey Ungphakorn School of Development Studies (PSDS), Thammasat University, including Dr. Nuttavikhom Phantuwongpakdee (Dr. Kay), an International Affairs Staff, and two students. During the meeting, the team discussed potential collaborations that PSDS and CESASS can build to support the students. During the meeting, the team discussed potential areas of collaboration that PSDS and CESASS can pursue to support students. read more

Thailand, November 13–14, 2025 — The SEASREP 2025 Conference marked the 30th anniversary of the Southeast Asian Studies Regional Exchange Program (SEASREP). The conference took place at the Institute of East Asian Studies of Thammasat University, Thailand, and gathered scholars, practitioners, and long-time supporters of Southeast Asian Studies. It was not only an academic event but also a celebration of the thirty years of SEASREP’s contribution to the empowerment of scholarship in the region. read more

Yogyakarta, November 4–5, 2025 — As a multidisciplinary research center, the Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM) offers interns in the CESASS Internship Program diverse learning experiences. In addition to participating in CESASS’s internal activities, interns are encouraged to take part in various external engagements, such as public lectures, seminars, academic fairs, training, cultural events, exhibitions, and conferences.

This time, one of the international interns from the  Vrije Universiteit, Netherlands, Hüdanur Yildirim, had the opportunity to participate in the 13th International Graduate Students and Scholars’ Conference in Indonesia (IGSSCI) with the theme “Navigating the Future: Strengthening Resilience Through Global Collaboration Towards World Peace”, hosted by the Graduate School UGM and held on 4–5 November 2025. read more

Yogyakarta, November 14, 2025 — Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM), welcomed representatives from the Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies (ACICIS) for a coordination meeting to review the ongoing internship program hosted under the CESASS Internship Program.

This semester, three ACICIS students are undertaking their internship at CESASS through the Flexible Language Immersion Program (FLIP). As the internship reached its halfway point, the meeting served as an opportunity for both institutions to review the students’ activities, evaluate their progress, identify challenges, and discuss areas for improvement. read more

Yogyakarta, November 10, 2025 — Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM) held a meeting for the handover of financial and activity reports. The meeting was attended by Prof. Dr. Rini Rachmawati, S.Si., M.T., former Director of CESASS, and Dr. Wawan Mas’udi, S.IP., M.P.A., Ph.D., who is currently serving as the Ad Interim Director of CESASS, along with the CESASS staff.

Beyond the handover process, the meeting also served as an opportunity for Dr. Wawan and the CESASS staff to engage in introductory discussions and exchange insights regarding the center’s ongoing activities and direction. read more

Yogyakarta, October 23, 2025 — The Academic Writing Workshop “Techniques and Ethics: Expanding Publication Opportunities in Scopus Indexing Journal” at the Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM) continued into its second day. The session began with Dr. Dicky Sofyan from the Graduate School of UGM, who led an engaging and insightful discussion titled “Reality in Empirical Research.” With both in-person and online participants, the session was highly interactive and emphasized the importance of perspective in shaping how we understand the world. Dr. Dicky illustrated this using the well-known selective attention video exercise, where participants focused on counting the number of passes made by players and subsequently missed the unexpected appearance of a person in a gorilla suit. This activity highlighted how our attention can limit what we perceive, reminding researchers that what we observe is only a portion of the broader reality. read more

Yogyakarta, October 15, 2025 — “How can we avoid unclear research objectives?”

This was the thought-provoking question posed by Dr. Indri Dwi Apriliyanti as she helped participants sharpen their ability to craft clear and focused research questions.

Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM) successfully held a workshop on Academic Writing titled “Techniques and Ethics: Expanding Publication Opportunities in Scopus Indexing Journal,” bringing together participants from diverse academic backgrounds, such as Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Universitas Brawijaya, Universitas Airlangga, Universitas Sanata Dharma, UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya, and Universitas Lambung Mangkurat, to strengthen their research and writing skills. read more