Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has once again gained international recognition after being selected as a hub for the Cultivating the Humanities and Social Sciences and Supporting Underrepresented Scholars of Asia (CHSS) program. Managed by the Association for Asian Studies (AAS) with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the program aims to strengthen capacity and expand access to research and academic publishing for groups that face barriers to engaging with global academic networks and resources.
UGM Vice Rector for Education and Teaching, Professor Wening Udasmoro, stated that UGM will serve as a center for a range of academic capacity-building activities, with its main agenda consisting of academic writing training for early-career lecturers and graduate students in the humanities and social sciences.
“UGM will serve as a hub for the CHSS program funded by SIDA through AAS,” she said on Friday (June 12).
Professor Wening explained that the program is specifically designed for underrepresented groups, including academics from post-conflict areas, Indonesia’s disadvantaged, frontier, and underserved regions (3T areas), marginalized communities, and persons with disabilities. In addition, the program involves participants from several Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste.
“We will provide writing training for young lecturers, scholars, and graduate students from underrepresented groups,” she said.
The program is not solely intended to improve academic writing skills. According to Professor Wening, it is also expected to help participants produce scholarly publications that can support their academic career development.
In addition, she noted that the CHSS program is expected to expand academic collaboration networks to support research and publication development among scholars from different countries.
“The outputs will be articles published by scholars from underrepresented groups. They can use these publications to strengthen their academic profiles. At the same time, this initiative will help broaden the academic ecosystem,” she explained.
Professor Wening stated that the program will run for three years, with annual academic writing training workshops as its core activity. The first workshop is scheduled for October 2026 and is expected to involve approximately 25 participants.
In addition to hosting the program, UGM will collaborate with the Asia Research Center at Universitas Indonesia. The initiative will also bring together experts in scholarly publishing from various countries.
“Through this program, participants will receive mentoring to improve the quality of their research and academic publications, both in reputable national and international journals,” she said.
The program comes at an important time, as research funding remains heavily concentrated in science and technology fields. Professor Wening emphasized that the humanities and social sciences play an equally strategic role in addressing many of today’s development challenges.
“The humanities and social sciences are no less important. These fields help us address critical issues that need to be documented and shared with the world,” she said.
She expressed hope that UGM can become a pioneer in creating opportunities for academics and groups that have long faced limited access, enabling them to develop their research capacity, expand international networks, and strengthen the competitiveness of their publications.
“We hope that scholars from underrepresented groups will have the space to enhance their research and writing capacities and capabilities, allowing them to enjoy equal opportunities in their academic careers,” she added.
The program also supports several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By strengthening the capacity of academics from groups that have historically had limited access to opportunities, including persons with disabilities, communities in 3T regions, and post-conflict areas, the program contributes to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
Furthermore, its training and publication mentoring activities for young lecturers and graduate students support SDG 4 (Quality Education) by enhancing the quality of academic human resources. The program is also aligned with SDG 5 (Gender Equality) by promoting more inclusive gender representation among participants and encouraging the development of research themes related to gender inclusion.
Author: Cyntia Noviana
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-Editor: Zabrina Kumara
Photo: Magnific