Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM) received a visit from students of National Chengchi University (NCCU), Taiwan, who are currently studying at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences Universitas Gadjah Mada. With a strong interest in Indonesian language and culture, the students were eager to learn more about Southeast Asian social dynamics through CESASS’s research and academic activities. The visit provided an engaging platform for dialogue, allowing them to deepen their understanding of Indonesia’s cultural and societal contexts while strengthening academic connections. read more

Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM) was pleased to host Yuzuru Shimada from University of Tokyo for an academic visit and discussion. Prof. Shimada is a Japanese scholar specializing in Southeast Asian politics and governance, with particular interests in decentralization, local politics, and state–society relations in Indonesia. Through his extensive research, fieldwork, and publications on democratic processes and regional autonomy, he has contributed significantly to the study of contemporary political developments in Southeast Asia. His visit provided a valuable opportunity to exchange research perspectives and explore potential avenues for future academic collaboration. read more

Sharing Session: “Ayo! Belajar Mandarin”, held on July 5th, 10th, and 15th, 2024, was a resounding success. Featuring distinguished Chen An Chou, Suthasinee Huang, and Yi Ching Wang, international students from National Chengchi University, these events provided a unique and enriching learning experience for all attendees.

Over three days, participants from various backgrounds gathered to engage in interactive activities, gain valuable language skills, and immerse themselves in Mandarin culture. The sessions covered fundamental language skills, cultural insights, and practical tips, making learning Mandarin both fun and accessible. read more

Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM) welcomed Dr. Rattikarn Khambud as a guest lecturer in the Smart City, Digital Transformation and Society Summer Course 2024. Dr. Khambud is a Thai scholar specializing in urban planning, sustainable development, and smart city innovation, with academic and professional experience in infrastructure strategy and built environment management in Southeast Asia. Her research focuses on urban development models, smart building systems, and the integration of digital technologies in city governance. During the program, she delivered a session titled Urban Development and Building Strategy (Smart Building), offering practical and regional insights into how smart infrastructure and planning strategies contribute to sustainable urban transformation. read more

Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM) welcomed Khoo Suet Leng from Universiti Sains Malaysia as a guest lecturer for the Smart City, Digital Transformation and Society Summer Course 2024. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Khoo is an established scholar in urban studies and regional development, with research interests spanning urban governance, sustainable cities, and socio-economic transformation in Southeast Asia. Through her academic publications and engagement in interdisciplinary research, she has contributed to discussions on how digital innovation and policy frameworks shape contemporary urban societies. Her participation enriched the summer course by offering comparative regional perspectives on smart city initiatives and their societal implications. read more

Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM) welcomed DAS Diganta Kumar Das from the National Institute of Education, Singapore as a guest lecturer in the Smart City, Digital Transformation and Society Summer Course 2024. Dr. Das is an academic specializing in governance, public policy, and comparative education, with research interests that intersect digital transformation, institutional reform, and Southeast Asian development. In his session titled Smart Governance: Case of Southeast Asia, he examined governance frameworks and policy innovations shaping smart city initiatives across the region, providing participants with comparative and critical regional perspectives. read more

On 9 July 2024, Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM) welcomed Jalaluddin Abdul Malek as a guest lecturer for the Smart City, Digital Transformation and Society Summer Course 2024. Prof. Jalaluddin is a Malaysian scholar whose expertise lies in urban and regional planning, community development, and sustainable city governance, with extensive research on smart city frameworks in Southeast Asia. During the program, he delivered a lecture titled Smart City Case of Southeast Asia, which was also integrated with his participation as a speaker at the Association for Asian Studies in Asia Conference 2024 hosted by Universitas Gadjah Mada. His contributions provided valuable regional case studies and strengthened academic engagement between the summer course and the international conference forum. read more

Activity Reportage

The 16th ASIAN URBANIZATION CONFERENCE 2024
Asian Urbanization Forging a Livable and Sustainable Urban Future

The Asian Urbanisation Conference (AUC) 2024 seminar was held on 11-12 January 2024 organised by Vietnamese-German University (VGU) and Asian Urban Research Association (AURA) in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Vietnam. At the event, Prof. Dr Rini Rachmawati, S.Si., M.T., Head of PSSAT UGM, became a speaker at the Smart Cities, Big Data, and Planning Education session with a presentation on Smart Cities and Smart Urbanism in Indonesia as well as chairmain in the session and the Green Transport session. He also had the opportunity to present the activities at the Centre for Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESASS) UGM, namely the Internship program, Summer Course, Edutrips, and Journal IKAT at the AUC Youth Scholars Workshop Forum. In addition to the seminar, there is a field trip in the Mekong Delta on 13 January 2024. The next 17th AUC activity will be held in Bangladesh in 2025. read more

Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies had the honor of welcoming Michaela Haug, Professor at the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Freiburg, Germany. Prof. Haug is an established scholar in social and cultural anthropology whose research focuses on political anthropology, social movements, and processes of state formation and transformation, particularly in Southeast Asia. Her extensive fieldwork and publications have contributed significantly to discussions on governance, citizenship, and local political dynamics in the region. The visit provided an opportunity to exchange insights on current research in social and cultural anthropology, particularly in relation to Southeast Asia, while also opening avenues for potential academic collaboration, joint research initiatives, and future scholarly engagement between the two institutions. read more

Democracy is a system of government in which the people govern by electing representatives. Referring to Dahl, the principle of democracy does not change in how the democratic mechanism in government institutions works. Meanwhile, there is a pathology of democracy where there are deviated forms of implementing democracy where democracy is set up for a dictatorial rule that is happening in Southeast Asia. The practice of dynastic politics then perpetuates the existence of democracy that leads to dictatorial, said Muhammad Nailul in the 34th SEA CHAT series. Muhammad Nailul is an intern student at the Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies who in this SEA CHAT brings a discussion about dictatorship and political dynasties and the role of media on history Politicization. read more