UNAIR NEWS – A lecturer and a student from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) at Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) have earned accolades at The International Conference of Social Sciences and Humanities 2024 (TICSSH 2024). Agastya Wardhana, S Hub Int M Hub Int, and Ghulam Phasa Pambayung from the International Relations program were named Best Presenters at the prestigious international conference.
TICSSH 2024 took place in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, from Wednesday, September 4th to Thursday, September 5th, 2024. The conference served as a platform for the exchange of insights, experiences, ideas, and research findings among social science and humanities scholars from various disciplines.
Focusing on democracy in Indonesia
TICSSH 2024 was organized in collaboration with the 10th International Conference on Contemporary Social and Political Affairs (ICOCSPA). The theme of the event was “Innovations in Digital Humanities: Shaping the Future of Social Sciences.” During the conference, Agastya and Ghulam focused their presentation on the topic of democracy in Indonesia.
Pambayung explained that this subject was chosen because it aligned with their expertise in strategic cultural studies or the geopolitics of emerging economic powers. “Ultimately, we chose to discuss how illiberal democracy in Indonesia influences its accession process to the OECD. So, we primarily focused on democratization and the geopolitics of emerging economies,” he stated.
Experiences and future goals
Reflecting on the experience, Pambayung expressed his excitement about engaging with academics who shared similar interests at the conference. “In the panel, I was alongside people who already held PhDs and master’s degrees. Some were surprised to learn I was still an undergraduate. It was exhilarating to be surrounded by people with the same passion for knowledge—it was truly inspiring,” he shared.
Pambayung also offered advice to his fellow students to embrace every part of their learning journey. “I want to be a lifelong learner. Life is an ongoing learning process; it never ends. As the saying goes, ‘seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.’ To my fellow students, whether in International Relations or any other field, always aim for the stars,” he concluded.
Author: Khumairok Nurisofwatin
Editor: Edwin Fatahuddin
