JAKARTA, July 15, 2026 – The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) successfully hosted a strategically significant academic event titled the “Critical Island Studies Workshop 2026.” This scholarly event took place over two days, from Monday to Tuesday, July 13–14, 2026, at the Sasana Widya Graha Building, Sarwono Prawirohardjo Science Area, BRIN, Jakarta.
In this prestigious forum initiated by BRIN, the Director of the Center for Research on Society and Culture, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Indonesia (PPKB FIB UI), Dr. Ahmad Fahrurodji, S.S., M.A., was specially invited to deliver a warm welcome address and officially open the scholarly, critical discussions. The presence and active participation of PPKB FIB UI in this event underscore the strong commitment of higher education institutions to supporting and collaborating closely with national research bodies to advance social sciences and humanities in Indonesia.
In his remarks, Ahmad Fahrurodji emphasized that island studies must actively engage local communities as the primary subjects of research rather than treating them merely as objects of study. According to him, islands are rich spaces that harbor the history, culture, and social dynamics that shape the future of the region. Therefore, archipelagic and island research must stem from direct interaction with the local community to fully comprehend cultural heritage from diverse perspectives.
“Islands are not isolated peripheral areas; they are centers of our history, culture, economy, and future. The term ‘doing’ in this workshop is crucial because it reminds us that these studies are not merely theoretical. It is a research practice that requires us to immerse ourselves, interact with local residents, and interpret cultural heritage from multiple angles,” he explained.
He further added that collaboration between universities, such as Universitas Indonesia, and research institutions like BRIN is a vital key to producing research that is not only theoretically robust but also carries a direct, positive impact on development policies for coastal and island regions.
Held daily from 09:00 to 17:00 Western Indonesia Time (WIB), the workshop served as a highly productive space for intellectual exchange. A number of prominent researchers from various institutions presented their latest findings across several workshop sessions, including:
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Maria Luisa Torres Reyes – Between Erasure and Rupture: Nomadic Lifeways and World-Making in Southeast Asia: The Case of the Sama Dilaut
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Alex Taek-Gwang Lee – Archipelagic Ontology and Weak Technologies
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Melani Budianta – Nusantara: Maritime Vision and Archipelagic Realities in Indonesia
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Toshiya Ueno – Archipelagic Thinking and Planetary Ecophilosophy
PPKB FIB UI’s active participation in this national agenda is expected to continuously expand multi-institutional research networks and foster joint scientific publications capable of making a tangible contribution to the maritime future of Indonesia.