UNDIP, Semarang (11/7) – Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) demonstrated its active role in the international arena by acting as one of the co-host of the Policy Roundtable event entitled “Responses to Information Manipulation in Southeast Asia: From Research to Policy Implementation.” This regional strategic forum was held on Thursday, July 9th, 2026, at the Siena Verona Room, 2nd Floor, Four Points by Sheraton Jakarta, Thamrin, Indonesia. This international collaboration brought together academics from across countries to formulate concrete steps in maintaining the integrity of digital information in the Southeast Asia region.
This large-scale event is the result of close collaboration between Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP), Monash University Indonesia, Chulalongkorn University Thailand, and is fully supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), a Canadian research (think tank). UNDIP’s presence as a co-host underscores the university’s commitment to responding to global challenges, particularly those related to the increasingly widespread threat of information manipulation and malicious influence operations that have the potential to disrupt social, economic, and political stability in the Southeast Asian region.
Wijayanto, S.IP., M.Si., Ph.D., who also serves as the Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, Cooperation, and Public Communication at UNDIP, was present in person and acted as one of the keynote speakers on a panel discussing research findings on countering malign influence operations. In his statement, Wijayanto, Ph.D., expressed his enthusiasm for the holding of this crucial agenda in the capital.
In his presentation, Wijayanto, Ph.D., stated, “Cyber troops and influence operations using social media propaganda have grown into an industry in Southeast Asia. To address this, a comprehensive overhaul of the digital ecosystem is needed, including transparency of digital political content, strengthening platform accountability in detecting fake accounts and coordinated inauthentic behavior, increasing public media literacy, developing research to map actors, funding, and changing tactics, and strengthening monitoring of the digital public space by civil society, journalists, and fact-checkers.”
The forum itself was attended by around 25 important figures, including representatives from the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information, Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives, and the Meta Supervisory Board.
Through an interactive and productive discussion, all participants shared the latest research findings and formulated policy recommendations aligned with responsible AI governance. The event concluded with a group photo session, reflecting the strong collaboration across sectors and countries.
Closing his statement, Wijayanto, Ph.D., expressed his deep appreciation for the results achieved at the international meeting. “This was a very fruitful workshop, with so many extraordinary insights gained,” he concluded.
Through this concrete contribution to the formulation of regional digital policy, Universitas Diponegoro has once again demonstrated its capacity as a world-class university, excelling not only in research but also in directly impacting the wider community. This strategic move aligns with the university’s overarching vision to continue advancing as a respected institution. This spirit reinforces UNDIP’s identity as noble and valuable, both nationally and internationally. (Public Communication/UNDIP/Riri)