Amid the growing role of social media in shaping public opinion, a new study from the Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) examines how political conversations in digital spaces influence young people’s emotions and political engagement. Drawing on the dynamics of discourse on platforms like TikTok—from sympathetic support to aggressive commentary, the research seeks to understand users’ response patterns to political conversations of differing tones and characteristics. This study is funded by the 2025 Research Grant of the Faculty of Psychology UGM and is situated within the Cyberpsychology theme at the Center for Indigenous and Cultural Psychology (CICP).

Pradytia Putri Pertiwi, S.Psi., Ph.D, a lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), was invited by the American Red Cross through the Global Disaster Preparedness Center (GDPC) to present her research on the inclusivity and actionability of volcanic hazard Early Warning Systems (EWS) for persons with disabilities (PwD) in Indonesia. The study has been published on the GDPC–American Red Cross platform under the title “Inclusivity and actionability of volcanic hazard Early Warning System in Indonesia: Perspectives of persons with disabilities”.

The Career Center of the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), held a blended-format webinar titled “Learning Effectively and Growing as a College Student” on Friday (October 3). The event, attended by first- and third-semester undergraduate students, featured two inspiring speakers: Nadia Puti Dianesti, S.Psi. (Alumna and 2024 Outstanding Student of the Faculty and University) and Alya Nur Faiza (2025 Outstanding Student of the Faculty of Psychology UGM).

Reny Yuniasanti, M.Psi., Ph.D., Psikolog, is known as an educator who firmly upholds integrity while actively contributing through professional organizations. Her academic journey began as one of the first cohort of the Master of Professional Psychology Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in 2005. She successfully completed her studies despite the fact that the program’s academic system was still in its trial phase.

As part of the Pre-International Course Series of the International Course on Public Mental Health, the Center for Public Mental Health (CPMH) Faculty of Psychology Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) invited two experts to highlight the importance of understanding suicide not merely as an individual issue, but also one that is deeply connected to cultural, social, and systemic factors. The event, held online on Friday (Sept 19), was attended by dozens of participants from various backgrounds.

The Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), and Wahana Keluarga Cerebral Palsy (WKCP) explored potential collaboration opportunities through a meeting held on Wednesday (September 17) in Room D-506, Faculty of Psychology UGM. The discussion focused on potential joint initiatives in research, studies, and the development of sustainable family- and community-based support models.

The Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada, through the Center for Indigenous and Cultural Psychology (CICP), organized an Internal Workshop: Youth Studies, Livelihood, Relational Wellbeing, and Scoping Review on September 10–12, 2025, at ARTOTEL Yogyakarta. This activity is part of the U’Good Grant Program: Vulnerable Youth – Navigating Meaningful Livelihood in Indonesia, an international research initiative that aims to explore social relations, community support, and the role of institutions in helping vulnerable youth achieve meaningful livelihoods. The UGood Grant Program is supported by the National Research Foundation (South Africa), Fondation Botnar (Switzerland), and the Human Sciences Research Council (South Africa).

The final event of AAI – Strengthening Higher Education System in Indonesia, an afternoon tea reception in the Governor House with Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC.

In August 2025, we joined 27 fellow academics from universities across Indonesia in a short course on Strengthening the Higher Education System in Indonesia (SHESI), delivered through the Australia Awards Indonesia program. The Crawford School of Public Policy hosted the course at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, and gave us the opportunity to engage with policymakers and universities.

Sheilla Varadhila Peristianto, M.Psi., Psikolog, successfully earned her doctoral degree at the open defense of the Doctoral Program in Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, on Tuesday (19/08). Her dissertation, titled “The Concept of Rasa Rumangsa and Its Relation to the Subjective Burden of Families Caring for Individuals with Schizophrenia”, marked her as the 6,672nd doctoral graduate of UGM.

Dr. Bagus Riyono, M.A., Psikolog, faculty member at the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has once again received an international invitation. After his book Tazkiya Therapy in Islamic Psychotherapy was published by Routledge, the work has now become a subject of discussion in the Islamic Spirituality class at Respect Graduate School, Pennsylvania, United States. read more