Dr. Vissia Ita Yulianto and Dr. Rizanna Rosemary during the courtesy visit at PSSAT UGM, exploring future collaboration in regional, conflict, and socio-cultural studies.

Yogyakarta, 17 November 2025 — The Research Center for Social and Cultural Studies (PRISB) at Universitas Syiah Kuala (USK) continues to strengthen its academic networks and inter-university research collaborations. As part of this effort, Dr. Rizanna Rosemary conducted an official visit to the Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (PSSAT) at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) to explore potential partnerships in regional studies, conflict studies, socio-cultural research, and international academic programs.

The visit was warmly welcomed by Dr. Phil. Vissia Ita Yulianto, Head of the Program and Publication Division at PSSAT UGM. The meeting unfolded through a constructive exchange on research interests, academic priorities, and collaborative opportunities between the two institutions.

During the discussion, Dr. Ita highlighted PSSAT’s dynamic academic environment, enriched by the participation of interns from diverse national and international backgrounds. She also shared PSSAT’s active engagement in collaborative research programs focusing on Southeast Asian regional studies, particularly in the areas of social, political, and cultural dynamics. Yogyakarta’s rich cultural and intellectual landscape provides a distinctive foundation for PSSAT’s socio-cultural research, making it an important hub for Southeast Asian scholarship.

Discussion between Dr. Ita and Dr. Rizanna on strengthening academic partnerships between PRISB USK and PSSAT UGM, including opportunities for joint research and thematic programs.

Dr. Rizanna conveyed that USK has recently launched the Master’s Program in Peace and Conflict Resolution (MDRK), designed to strengthen academic engagement with peacebuilding, conflict studies, and reconciliation—areas strongly shaped by Aceh’s own historical experience of prolonged conflict and a transformative peace process. MDRK has now become one of the core academic pillars within PRISB USK, reflecting Aceh’s position as a living laboratory for studying conflict, peace, identity, and socio-cultural transformation.

She invited PSSAT UGM to collaborate in these thematic areas through guest lectures, joint seminars, academic exchanges, or research partnerships. Both Aceh and Yogyakarta hold unique socio-cultural characteristics, offering rich opportunities for comparative studies and interdisciplinary collaboration on community dynamics, cultural heritage, social resilience, and regional identity.

The discussion also acknowledged the long-standing collaboration between PSSAT UGM and the Tsunami and Disaster Mitigation Research Center (TDMRC) USK, particularly in disaster and environmental studies. Both centers hold the prestigious designation of Pusat Unggulan Indonesia Perguruan Tinggi (PUI-PT) and share a strong commitment to developing research grounded in local strengths and regional relevance. PRISB hopes to extend this positive relationship into new areas, particularly conflict studies and socio-cultural research.

Dr. Rizanna’s visit to PSSAT UGM marks an important step toward expanding academic cooperation between USK and UGM, paving the way for deeper collaboration in regional studies, conflict and peace research, socio-cultural scholarship, and broader academic initiatives in the future.