The Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies of Universitas Gadjah Mada (CESASS UGM) held the 17th International Asian Urbanization Conference (IAUC), a three-day event from Jan. 14–16, 2025, at the Prime Plaza Sanur Hotel in Bali.
The conference, themed “Rethinking Sustainable Urban Development and Urban Futures in the Digital Age,” was supported by the Asian Urban Research Association (AURA) and UGM’s Faculty of Geography and successfully gathered 59 abstracts.
Thirty-one presenters and six participants from nine countries attended the conference, including Indonesia, the United States, Germany, Romania, France, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, and Taiwan.
The event featured many international experts as keynote speakers, including Professor George Pomeroy, Executive Director of AURA and professor of geography and earth science at Shippensburg University, and Professor Rini Rachmawati, Director of CESASS UGM and professor of urban geography at UGM.
Other speakers included Professor Frauke Kraas, Coordinator of the Forum for Urban Future in Southeast Asia and professor of urban development at the University of Cologne, and Professor Emeritus Debnath Mookherjee from Western Washington University, who delivered his presentation via video.
The conference also invited two speakers from Romania and France: Professor Liliana Dumitrache, a professor of human and economic geography at the University of Bucharest, and Professor Yves Boquet, a professor of transportation geography at the University of Bourgogne, France.
Professor Rini Rachmawati, Director of CESASS UGM, stated that the conference presenters and participants discussed strategic issues related to sustainable urban development through interactive scientific sessions.
She described the discussions as important for strengthening academic exchange and international collaboration among researchers and practitioners.
In addition to in-class discussions, conference participants were also invited to a field visit in Bali to observe sustainable urban development practices firsthand.
“We all hope this experience enriches the conference outcomes by linking theoretical discussions with real-world implementation,” said Professor Rachmawati.
As the host, Professor Rachmawati expressed that CESASS UGM is committed to strengthening cross-country collaboration and addressing the challenges of sustainable urban and social development in the digital age.
She emphasized that the conference demonstrated the critical role of academics in building inclusive and resilient urban futures.
“We also hope that this event fosters closer ties across Southeast Asia and beyond,” she explained.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya