Yogyakarta, Thursday, January 29, 2026 – The Department of Civic Education, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Yogyakarta State University (UNY) held an international lecture series themed “Building Sustainable Academic Networks in ASEAN Higher Education.” The event was attended by PNU and UNY students as well as FISIP UNY lecturers. The keynote speaker for this lecture session was Dr. Ma. Arsenia C. Gomez from Philippine Normal University (PNU), Philippines, and it was moderated by M. Fikri Alvinca, M.Pd. The event took place in the FISIP UNY Hall. In her presentation, Dr. Gomez emphasized the importance of building sustainable academic networks in the ASEAN region as a strategy to strengthen the quality of higher education. She highlighted cross-university collaboration for joint research and student exchanges. In addition, she also emphasized the integration of local cultures and values in academic networks to ensure relevance to the Southeast Asian context. The use of digital technology is also very important to expand access to education, accelerate communication between campuses, and support distance learning.

Participants highlighted opportunities for research collaboration, cultural exchange, and strategies for addressing global challenges through higher education. This activity reaffirmed that higher education in ASEAN can be at the forefront of supporting the achievement of the SDGs, while strengthening the region's position as a center for innovation, collaboration, and sustainable development. Lecture session

This discussion session was also attended by Prof. Dr. Suyato, M.Pd, Head of the Civic Education Department, along with undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students majoring in Civic Education, as well as Political Science students from Yogyakarta State University. The interactive discussion between PNU lecturers and UNY academics highlighted how the two countries can learn from each other in developing curricula relevant to the needs of the 21st century, improving teacher competence as the spearhead of quality education, and building cross-cultural awareness so that students are ready to face global challenges. The event concluded with an enthusiastic question-and-answer session, followed by a group photo as a symbol of academic friendship between UNY and PNU.