The Conversation Indonesia once again organized the TCID Author Awards to recognize scientists and institutions in Indonesia that have been highly productive in publishing. The awards aim to appreciate the contributions of researchers and academics who continuously strive to disseminate science-based ideas within public discourse on social media in Indonesia.
At the online award ceremony on Friday (Feb. 6), the TCID Author Awards 2025 named Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) the Second Most Productive University, with 51 publications in 2025. A total of thirteen award categories were presented at the TCID 2025 awards night.
No fewer than 323 universities, ministries, and institutions, along with 799 active authors, contributed through their writings and expertise.
UGM Director of Research, Professor Mirwan Ushada, expressed gratitude for the recognition given by The Conversation Indonesia for the contributions of UGM academics and scientists in publishing scientific articles and opinion pieces.
According to Professor Ushada, this achievement demonstrates UGM’s ongoing commitment to bringing scientific knowledge closer to society through expert voices as a primary pillar.
“This achievement serves as appreciation for the entire UGM academic community, including lecturers, researchers, and students who persistently strive to improve the quality and quantity of research and publications,” he said on Friday (Feb. 13).
By leveraging the accessibility of social media, the publication of articles delivered by these academics enables the public to become more critical in understanding and utilizing data-based information.
Professor Ushada emphasized that UGM consistently seeks to improve public literacy so that people can be more open to innovation, participate more consciously in policymaking, and develop a deeper understanding of global issues. For him, scientific publications play an important role in disseminating credible knowledge that has a meaningful impact on society.
Yanuar Nugroho, founder of the Nalar Institute and a member of TCID’s Sustainability Advisory Board, stated that voicing science and truthful information in the public sphere is an important intellectual endeavor. This effort can help society become more critical and make informed decisions amid a crisis of public reasoning.
“Scientists cannot merely be producers of knowledge. They must also serve as guardians of public knowledge integrity. This means scientists cannot remain neutral when governments or other parties manipulate truth,” he said.
By celebrating the voices of scientists, the TCID Author Awards affirm that bringing science into the public sphere is a significant and impactful intellectual undertaking. The initiative aims to return science to the public and foster a society that is critical, knowledgeable, and capable of making conscious decisions in a democratic context.
Author: Ika Agustine
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya