Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) continues to strengthen its networks with stakeholders and research partners. This commitment was marked by the opening of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol) office at UGM Jakarta Campus on Tuesday (Sep. 16).
Dean of Fisipol UGM, Dr. Wawan Mas’udi, explained that the new Jakarta office serves as a strategic bridge between the Yogyakarta academic community and stakeholders in the capital.
“We hope Fisipol UGM can become a strategic partner in formulating public policies grounded in data and in-depth analysis,” he said.
According to Dr. Mas’udi, Fisipol UGM has recently focused its efforts on three flagship areas: climate change and sustainability, digital transformation, and the social industry. Building synergies and strengthening partnerships are essential to address these challenges.
“The presence of this office is a strategic step to expand our reach and deepen Fisipol UGM’s contribution in responding to these global issues,” he added.
He emphasized that the Jakarta office is designed to support academic development, particularly in teaching, research, and public discussions. Several study programs are preparing collaboration schemes that connect the Yogyakarta and Jakarta campuses.
“In principle, programs will remain registered in Yogyakarta, but part of the learning and development activities will make use of facilities in Jakarta,” he explained.
Coinciding with the opening, the Center for Digital Society (CfDS), one of Fisipol UGM’s research centers, presented a study titled Promoting Fair and Proportional Governance of Social Media Platforms.
This research aligns with Fisipol UGM’s second flagship priority on digital transformation, addressing issues such as digital crises, the need for transparent platform governance, and prioritizing public interest.
Researcher Bangkit Adhi Wiguna elaborated on four key issues of social media platform governance.
First, recurring public distrust in digital regulations due to a lack of transparency.
Second, threats to users, including disinformation, cyberattacks, criminalization, and online gender-based violence.
Third, the close link between social media and e-commerce, where entrepreneurs increasingly rely on social media over conventional marketplaces.
Fourth, trends in governance models across countries that could serve as references for Indonesia.
Wiguna pointed to the case of TikTok turning off its live-streaming feature during demonstrations in August as an example requiring transparency. He stressed that regulation should not only focus on control but also protect the rights of users and digital entrepreneurs.
“We need to build a strong and collaborative policy foundation that involves the government, platforms, civil society, and the private sector to ensure our digital ecosystem grows healthily and sustainably,” he said.
He added that one solution is to adapt governance models from other countries, such as the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which emphasizes transparency, layered mechanisms, and multi-stakeholder involvement, or Singapore’s more moderate approach through oversight bodies requiring regular reporting.
Wiguna noted that Indonesia still needs to strengthen transparency in content moderation so that policies are not merely state-centric.
“It is also important to open public participation, so people understand why the government makes certain policies and how the mechanisms work, to avoid public distrust,” he explained.
Located at Dr. Saharjo St, 83, Manggarai, Tebet, South Jakarta, the new Fisipol UGM forum will intensively utilize social media both as a research tool and as a channel to communicate research findings effectively to the public.
This effort also serves as part of CfDS’s digital narrative strategy and opens broader opportunities for collaboration with national and global institutions.
Author: Hanifah
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Photograph: Fisipol UGM