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.
Activity
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yogyakarta, August 21, 2025 — Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM) took part in the Acicis NGO Fair 2025 at the front area of the Margono Building (Greenland), Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM. Organized by the Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies (Acicis) and supported by the Australian Government, the annual fair brought together leading organizations across Yogyakarta to introduce internship and volunteer opportunities to local and international students.
Yogyakarta, July 24, 2025 — The GEO-PW Webinar Series of IKN Regional Development #6 and Focus Group Discussion with the theme “The Continuation of Nusantara Capital City Development: Strengthening and Limiting Aspects” was organised by the Regional Development Study Interest, Master of Geography UGM, supported by the Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM).

The Head of IKN Authority, Dr. (H.C.) Ir. H. M. Basuki Hadimuljono, M.Sc., Ph.D., delivered a presentation followed by an FGD by the Chief Researcher of Research Collaboration Indonesia, Prof. Dr. Rini Rachmawati, S.Si., M.T., with a team consisting of Prof. Ir. Dana Indra Sensuse, M.LIS., Ph.D. (UI RKI Partner Researcher), Dr.techn. Wikan Danar Sunindyo, S.T, M.Sc. (Partner Researcher of RKI ITB), Prof. Dr. Galuh Syahbana Indraprahasta (Partner Researcher of BRIN), and Assc. Prof. Dr Khoo Suet Leng (Partner Researcher Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia), Prof. Dr Khin Khin Soe (Partner Researcher Sagaing University of Education, Myanmar).
Yogyakarta, July 22, 2025 — Prof. Dr. Rini Rachmawati, S.Si., M.T., Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM), attended a meeting upon the invitation of Prof. Dr. Wening Udasmoro, S.S., M.Hum., DEA., Vice Rector for Education and Learning at UGM. The meeting was held with delegates from the Department of Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures (SEALC) at National Chengchi University (NCCU), Taiwan.

The NCCU delegation consisted of Prof. Dr. Chao Chin-Chi (Acting Dean of the College of Foreign Languages and Literature & Chair of the SEALC), Prof. Dr. Jiang Cuifen (Director of the Chinese Language Teaching Centre), Dr. Silvia Rehulina Ginting (Assistant Professor of the SEALC & Head of Indonesian Language and Cultures Study Program), and Mr. Yuan Ting Lim (Operations Manager of the Center for Southeast Asian Socio-Cultural Studies in the Department of Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures). The meeting was also attended by Dr. Tyas Ikhsan Hikmawan, M.S., Ph.D., Head of the Subdirectorate of International Collaboration.
Yogyakarta, July 21, 2025 — A strategic meeting between the Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM) and the Department of Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures of National Chengchi University (SEALC NCCU), Taiwan, took place at CESASS UGM.
CESASS was represented by Prof. Dr. Rini Rachmawati, S.Si., M.T. (Director), Drs. Muhadi Sugiono, M.A. (Head of Research, Education, and Cooperation Division), Dr. phil. Vissia Ita Yulianto (Head of Program and Publication Division), and Dr. Arif Akhyat, M.A. (Affiliated researcher with an expertise on history of Southeast Asian Studies). SEALC NCCU was represented by Prof. Dr. Chao Chin-Chi (Acting Dean of the College of Foreign Languages and Literature & Chair of SEALC), Prof. Dr. Jiang Cuifen (Director of the Chinese Language Teaching Centre), Dr. Silvia Rehulina Ginting (Assistant Professor and Head of the Indonesian Language and Cultures Study Program), and Mr. YuanTing Lim (Operations Manager of the Center for Southeast Asian Socio-Cultural Studies).