Anthon Jason

Imagine being told that your village is destined to become a hero in saving the planet from a looming climate apocalypse. Yet the price you must pay is the roar of excavators and giant drilling machines operating just one meter from your bedroom wall, along with the constant threat of lethal toxic gas spewing from the cornfields where you earn your daily living. For policymakers in the capital, this is merely a “tolerable form of mitigation” in pursuit of renewable energy ambitions. For villagers, however, it is nothing less than the violation of their basic right to live. read more

Hendrikus Paulus Kaunang

One of the students of the IRS UGM, Fardan Mahmudatul Imamah, participated as a presenter at an international academic forum titled The Graduate Conference, which was held on May 12–13, 2026. The event was a collaborative initiative among four higher education institutions: UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, UIN Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung, Universitas Brawijaya Malang, and Leiden University.

This academic forum served as a meeting space for scholars from various disciplinary backgrounds to present their research before both national and international academic communities. During the conference, Fardan presented a paper entitled “If a Peasant, Even Though Muslim, Still Has a Soul That Comes from Adat”: Peasant Narratives on Religious Change, Myth, and Agriculture in Rural Java. The paper explored a highly relevant yet often overlooked issue: how peasant communities in rural Java articulate their own religious experiences within the context of continuously changing agricultural life. read more

Anna Amalia

How do religious minority groups maintain resilience amid repeated persecution while continuing to contribute to social harmony as part of a shared national identity? This question become the central theme of the Talk Show and Book Discussion Seminar entitle “Seratus Tahun Bersama: Menenun Resiliensi, Meneguhkan Identitas Bangsa Dan Solidaritas Kemanusiaan,” held as part of the roadshow for the book discussion “Muslim Ahmadiyah dan Indonesia: 100 Tahun Keberagaman & Kerja Kemanusiaan” (“Ahmadiyya Muslims and Indonesia: 100 Years of Diversity and Humanitarian Work”). The event was organized by Jemaat Ahmadiyah Indonesia (JAI) in collaboration with Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana Yogyakarta on May 6, 2026. Two members of the academic community from the IRS UGM actively participated in the event: Dr. Zainal Abidin Bagir, a lecturer in the study program, served as a speaker, while Anna Amalia, a student of the program, moderated the discussion. read more

Muhammad Irfan Syaifuddin

In a significant step toward fostering holistic human development, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) and the Australian Catholic University (ACU) officially inaugurated the UGM-ACU Human Flourishing Center on Thursday, April 23, 2026. The establishment of this center, facilitated by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (KADIN), marks a new chapter in international academic collaboration aimed at addressing the multifaceted dimensions of human wellbeing. In addition to institutional leaders and stakeholders, five students from the IRS UGM (M. Irfan Syaifuddin, Eunike Molebila, Sri Safitri Oktaviyanti, Fardan M. Imamah, and Anthon Jason) were also involved in the inauguration event. Their participation provided a valuable opportunity to engage directly in international collaborative activities, enriching their academic experience and broadening their global perspective.  read more

Anthon Jason

Countless believers long for paradise in the hereafter, a place that holy scriptures so often portray in poetic language as a lush garden with crystal-clear rivers flowing beneath it. Yet a tragic irony rarely enters our collective consciousness: while humanity races to secure a mystical heaven in the next life, it is systematically destroying the very “paradise” God has already entrusted to us on Earth.

This paradox is the key question introduced by Dr. Dicky Sofjan in his presentation at the Wednesday Forum at UGM Graduate School on April 15, 2026. Dr. Dicky Sofjan is an Associate Professor of Inter-Religious Studies in the graduate school of Universitas Gadjah Mada and the CEO of Nglanggeran Eco Village. Choosing a theme that is both sharp and grounded in everyday realities, his talk moved beyond familiar, worn-out theological arguments. Instead, it drilled into a critical question that religious institutions often avoid: “Who should pay the bill for ecological sustainability?” read more

Hendrikus Paulus Kaunang

The research team from the IRS UGM visited Direktorat Bina Kepercayaan terhadap Tuhan Yang Maha Esa dan Masyarakat (BKMA), under the Ministry of Culture of Indonesia, to discuss the progress of research on digital inclusion and its dynamics among Penghayat Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan Yang Maha Esa (hereafter Penghayats, the indigenous religious communities) in Indonesia (16/4/2026). Since the inception of the research in 2022, the team has collaborated closely with BKMA to ensure its effectiveness. The team utilized BKMA’s Sidakerta database to map the communities to be visited throughout the research process. read more