A strategic meeting between the Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESASS) of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) and the Department of Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures (SEALC) of National Chengchi University (NCCU), Taiwan, took place on July 21, 2025, at at the Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESASS), Universitas Gadjah Mada.
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).
This meeting marked a continuation of the academic collaboration that has been ongoing between CESASS UGM and SEALC NCCU since 2023. Discussion centred on several strategic key areas, including the historical overview of CESASS and its shift toward digital technology integration in research and academic initiatives. Both institutions expressed strong interest in continuing and expanding their partnership, especially upon the return of Dr. phil. Vissia Ita Yulianto to UGM following her academic tenure as an Associate Professor at the National Chengchi University in the previous years.
A major agenda item was the potential collaboration for the upcoming Third National Chengchi University International Academic Symposium on Southeast Asian Culture and Society (ICSAS 2026), scheduled to be held in November 2026. NCCU expressed its interest in co-organizing the conference with UGM, with preliminary discussions indicating a potential role as the Indonesian host for future conferences following ICSAS 2026.
Future areas of collaboration discussed include, the promotion of NCCU’s Chinese language programs at UGM and the potential collaboration on the publication of selected conference papers through IKAT: The Indonesian Journal of Southeast Asian Studies.
Through its initiatives, CESASS continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to academic partnership and international cooperation. The outcomes of this meeting are expected to strengthen regional academic networks and encourage inclusive, innovative, and impactful scholarship that contributes to the regional development of Southeast Asia.
This initiative aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Number 4 (Quality Education) and Number 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
Writer: Jauza Rifa Abdurrafi