Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has achieved another milestone on the international stage through the accomplishment of Professor Wening Udasmoro, a member of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB UGM), who has been awarded the Inclusive Global Engagement Award by Universitas 21 (U21), a global network of top-tier universities across six continents.
This award recognizes Professor Udasmoro’s dedication to advancing inclusive and global education, particularly in the fields of literature, gender, and culture.
This achievement also reflects UGM’s commitment to mainstreaming diversity and equality at the global level. As one of Indonesia’s leading universities, UGM takes great pride in its faculty’s international recognition.
As UGM’s Vice-Rector for Education and Teaching and a professor at FIB UGM, Professor Udasmoro is widely known for her commitment to prioritizing gender equality and inclusion in higher education.
She has played a crucial role in building cultural and academic bridges between Indonesia and various countries, especially France.
Her expertise in literary studies, identity, and postcolonialism has made her contributions impactful not only nationally but also internationally. In various global forums, Professor Udasmoro often represents the voice of female academics from developing countries.
The Inclusive Global Engagement Award from U21 is part of the U21 Awards, presented to individuals or teams who have made significant contributions to promoting global inclusion in higher education.
The award criteria include contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goals 5 and 10, which focus on gender equality and reducing inequalities, as well as international impact that exceeds the expectations of their roles.
Only four individuals worldwide received this award in 2025, and Professor Udasmoro is the sole recipient from Southeast Asia. This underscores that inclusivity ideas developed from local contexts can have broad global resonance.
One of her colleagues, Professor Wiratni Budhijanto, expressed that beyond her academic contributions, Professor Udasmoro is also known for her empathetic and collaborative leadership.
Professor Udasmoro actively promotes the development of curricula responsive to diversity and inclusion issues, including their implementation within the campus environment.
Professor Budhijanto stated that UGM is home to many great figures, but the world has yet to fully recognize their greatness.
“Professor Udasmoro is one of the figures who opens the world’s eyes to UGM’s impactful thoughts and actions on a global scale. May the award received by Professor Udasmoro inspire the entire UGM academic community to build a global reputation so that UGM becomes an international reference for various 21st-century challenges,” said Professor Budhijanto.
The award from U21 adds to Professor Udasmoro’s list of achievements, following her receipt of the Palmes Académiques award from the French Government in December 2024. This award was an appreciation of her contributions to promoting French culture and language in Indonesia.
This further strengthens Professor Udasmoro’s position as an academic with a cross-border vision in geopolitical contexts and across disciplines. Her dedication proves that Indonesian academics can compete and contribute on the global stage.
UGM officially joined the global consortium Universitas 21 in August 2023, making it the only university from Indonesia in this network. This membership opens opportunities for UGM to collaborate in various international initiatives focused on educational innovation, student mobility, and academic capacity development.
With this award, UGM’s relationship with the U21 network is expected to become closer and directly impact the global capacity development of the academic community. This is also an important momentum to expand Indonesia’s academic diplomacy.
In her statement after receiving the award, Professor Udasmoro conveyed that the award is not an end but an encouragement to continue striving for fair and equal education. She invites the academic community to work together to create a more inclusive and hopeful future.
“May this award be a call to continue building an academic community that empowers, connects, and strengthens each other. Together, we can create a future where education is truly inclusive for all,” the award recipient hoped.
Author: Triya Andriyani
Photographer: Donnie