IFAR

About the Conference

The 2026 IFAR Consortium Conference invites critical examination of the complex relationships between state-building, economic development, and inequality in Southeast Asia. Although the region is often characterized as exhibiting moderate income inequality—lower than in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, the two regions with the highest levels globally—it nonetheless recorded higher inequality than Europe and Central Asia in 2020. Inequality levels also vary considerably across Southeast Asian countries, making the region a compelling site of inquiry for political scientists, economists, political economists, sociologists, anthropologists, and other scholars seeking to understand the dynamics of inequality under late-capitalist development.

Conference Themes

The 2026 IFAR Consortium Conference is designed to provide an open and critical platform for scholars and students of inequality to debate the causes, consequences, and complexities of inequality in Southeast Asia. More specifically, the conference will pay specific attention to the following themes:

State-building, economic development, and inequality

Economic policies, globalization, and inequality

State power, identity, marginality, and inequality

Climate change, resource politics, and inequality

Technological development, artificial intelligence, and inequality

Consequences of political and economic inequality

Non-Presenter Participant Registration

Applications are now open for non-presenter participants at The 2026 IFAR Consortium Conference. Registration fees vary based on your country of residence.

Registration fee is non-refundable. Payment must be completed within 5 days of acceptance to secure your participation.

Conference Programme

Three days of inspiring talks, networking, and knowledge exchange

Jamhari Makruf, Rector of UIII and Director of IFAR-UIII

Sirojuddin Arif, Conference Convener, the 2026 IFAR Consortium Conference, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Chair, Sirojuddin Arif, Department of Political Science, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

"What is Industrial Policy?" – Vivek Chibber, Department of Sociology, New York University

Question and Answer Session

Chair, Gde Dwitya, Department of Political Science; Institute for Advanced Research (IFAR); Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Rizki Nauli Siregar, Department of Economics, Universitas Indonesia

Inter and Intra-Group Inequality in Eastern Indonesia: Structural Drivers and the Reproduction of Disadvantage – Umbu Reku Raya, Sumba Cendekia Bestari, Indonesia

Indonesia: Increasing Wealth Inequality 1990–2025 – Pierre van der Eng, Research School of Management, Australian National University

Question and Answer Session

Chair & Discussant, A'an Suryana, Department of Political Science, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII)

How Does Political Regime Change Affect Economic Performance: Evidence from Comparative Cases in Southeast Asia – Faishal Aminuddin, Department of Political Science, Brawijaya University

From Mobilization to Marginalization: Islamism and Inequality – Luthfi Makhasin, Department of Political Science, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman

Inequality, Marginalization, and the Idea of Development in Riau – Wahyu Prasetyawan, Department of Dakwah Management, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta

Gender and Coastal Marginality: Socio-Economic Impacts of Coastal Environmental Change on Women in Central Java – Laila Alfirdaus, Department of Government, Universitas Diponegoro

Question and Answer Session

Chair & Discussant, Mirna Nadia, Institute for Advanced Research (IFAR), Universitas Katolik Atma Jaya, Jakarta

Digital Financialization and the Reproduction of Social Inequality: A Study of Paylater, Algorithmic Scoring, and Platform Governance in Indonesia – Achmad Boys Awaluddin Rifai, Independent Researcher

Generative AI and Educational Inequality: Postcolonial Patterns in Indonesia's Labor Market – Andreas Harnindito, Human Computer Interaction, Umeå University

Examining Transit Equity in Emerging Megacities: Evidence from the World's Largest BRT Network – Alyas Widita, Urban Design Program, Monash University Indonesia; Deden Rukmana, Urban and Regional Planning, University of Texas at Arlington; and Guntur Pamungkas, Universitas Terbuka

Glitching the State: Sapphic Resistance, Algospeak, and the Xenofeminist Politics of Technology in Indonesia – Tuhfatul Assalamah, Universitas Airlangga

Question and Answer Session

Chair & Discussant, Atmaezer H. Simanjuntak, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Miami

Producing Inequality Beyond Borders: Indonesia's Trade Diplomacy and the Politics of South-South Economic Integration from Southeast Asia – Rachmasari Nur Al-Husin, Department of International Relations, Universitas Indonesia

Beyond Growth: How State Economic Policies Reproduce Gendered Financial Inequality – Vianida Hardiningsih, The Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia; The Ministry of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia

Handloom Carbon Credits? An Assessment of Healthy Halo Markets in India and Indonesia – Apurva Bandodcar, Goa Business School, Goa University

The Political Economy of the Carbon Market in Indonesia – Rizal Shidiq, Leiden Institute for Area Studies, Leiden University

Question and Answer Session

Chair & Discussant, Luthfi Adam, School of Government and Public Policy (SGPP), Indonesia

Fiscal Decentralisation or Political Centralisation? Re-evaluating the "Solo Model" – Ofita Purwani, Universitas Sebelas Maret

From Court Rituals to Plebeian Theatre Politics: Ritualized Power in Yoon, Suharto, and Marcos – Hojai Jung, Dongguk University

Regeneration or Privatization? A Preliminary Critical Agrarian Study of Indonesia's Brigade Pangan Program – Ahmad Fajar Maulana, Universitas Gadjah Mada

The Political Sociology of State Formation and Inequality: Elite Capture, Post-Colonial Institutionalism, and The Political Economy of Privilege – Shaza Khalid, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Question and Answer Session

Chair & Discussant, Jeff Eden, Department of History, Northwestern University

Religious Authority, Social Capital, and Political Inequality: Power and Access in Muslim-Majority Regions in Southeast Asia – Syarifah Huswatun Miswar, Central China Normal University, Universitas Sunan Gresik

Weaving Justice from the Grassroots: The Leadership of Ibu Nyai in Transforming Community Health Services through Local Wisdom in Indonesia – Romlah, Pusat Pengembangan Psikologi dan Konseling Berbasis Pesantren

Religious Institutions as Agents of Environmental Justice: A Case Study of the #TutupTPL Movement in North Sumatra – Eikel Karunia Ginting, Faculty of Theology, Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana

Charity, Carbon and Control: Islamic Philanthropy in Indonesia's Palm Oil Climate Frontier – Fitrilya Anjarsari, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Diponegoro

Question and Answer Session

Chair & Discussant, Sofyan Ansori, Department of Anthropology, Universitas Indonesia

Green-fixing and Manufacturing Inequality: Predatory Capitalism Practices in Bantaeng Industrial Park, Indonesia – Dhien Favian Aryanda, Department of Politics and Government, Universitas Gadjah Mada

De-risking for Whom? A Critical International Political Economy Review of the "Just Transition" Paradox in Indonesia's JETP – Inggrid Mustikawati, Faculty of Social and Political Science, Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic University Jakarta

The Unjust Transition: A Systematic Review of Social and Environmental Impacts of Indonesia's Nickel Downstreaming Policy – La Ode Vidino Islamy Shaqban, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII)

An Analysis on the Economic Impact of Environmental Industries in Major ASEAN Countries – Yoomi Kim, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies

Question and Answer Session

Chair & Discussant, Aldi Nur Fadil Auliya, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy; University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY)

Mainstreaming Climate Objective into Developmental Planning: Policy Lessons from Sumatra's Land-Use Governance – Esa Bayu Rianto and Kusdarmawan Nur Ilham, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

When Floods Are Not Natural: Social Media Anger and the Politically Produced Disaster in Sumatra – Fuat Edi Kurniawan, Dialogue Empathy Ecology Peace EnGender

Climate Crisis, Human Safety, and Livelihood Inequality: Stories from People with Disabilities in Facing Climate Crisis Effects in Indonesia – Sekarini Wukirasih, Department of International Relations, Universitas Gadjah Mada

Disaster Governance and the Political Economy of Climate Inequality: Evidence from the Special Region of Yogyakarta – Rayhan Fasya Firdausi, Jemput Suara, Yogyakarta

Question and Answer Session

Chair & Discussant, Febi R. Ramadhan, Department of Anthropology, Universitas Indonesia

All for the Family: Women Heads of Household and the Heteronormative Family in Indonesia – Mirna Nadia, Institute for Advanced Research (IFAR), Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya, Jakarta

The Neopatrimonial Trap: How Perceived Organizational Politics and Relative Deprivation Drive Subjective Underemployment among Women Professionals in Indonesia – Fatimah, Universitas Gadjah Mada

Who Can Claim Maternity Leave? State Power and Stratified Social Rights in Indonesia – Devita Dinah, University of Melbourne & Universitas Gadjah Mada

The Managerial Capture of Social Reproduction: Mapping The "Care Fetish" in Indonesia's NGOized Landscapes – Emily Octavia and Putri Latiefa Rachma, Department of International Relations, Universitas Indonesia

Question and Answer Session

Chair & Discussant, Ridwan al-Makassary, Center of Muslim Politics and World Society (COMPOSE) and Department of Political Science, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

The Forgotten Ones: Community Resilience After The 1999 Sambas Malay-Manduranes Conflict – Lulu Musyarofah, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII)

Peace with/in Community Development: Refugees' Realities in Northern Thailand's Borderland – Malang Cilangasan, Peace Department, Payap University

Special Autonomy Without Protection: Indigenous Identity, State Power, and Persistent Inequality in Papua – Nila Warda, Asep Kurniawan, Dyan Widyaningsih, and Sylvia Andriyani, The SMERU Research Institute, Jakarta

Security in the Name of Development: State Power and the Securitization of Indigenous Land in the Awyu Case, Indonesia – Bima Hafizhan, Indonesia Defense University

Question and Answer Session

Chair, Sirojuddin Arif, Department of Political Science, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Discussant, Rizal Shidiq, Leiden Institute for Area Studies, Leiden University; and Leilong Ma, School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

Indonesia: Changing Contours of Economic Inequality in the Post-COVID-19 Period – Zulfan Tadjoeddin, School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University

Uneven Ground: COVID-19 and the Hidden Dimensions of Inequality in the Philippines – Rico La Viña, Ateneo de Manila University; and Randy Tuano, Philippine Institute for Development Studies

COVID-19 and Inequality in Malaysia: Consequences on Employment, Income, and Savings – Hwok-Aun Lee, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore

Gender Equality in Malaysia: Men's Participation in Housework – Christopher Choong, Khazanah Research Institute, Malaysia

Question and Answer Session

Organizing Committee

The 2026 IFAR Consortium Conference is organized by the Institute for Advanced Research (IFAR) at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) in collaboration with IFAR Atma Jaya University, IFAR LPEM UI (Lembaga Penyelidikan Ekonomi dan Masyarakat, Universitas Indonesia), IFAR Monash University Indonesia, and the Center of Muslim Politics and World Society Studies (COMPOSE) of the Faculty of Social Sciences, UIII.

Conference Convenors

Meet the convenors leading the 2026 IFAR Consortium Conference

Sirojuddin Arif

Institute for Advanced Research (IFAR)

Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Sirojuddin Arif is the Head of the MA in Political Science Program, and a researcher at the Institute for Advanced Research (IFAR) at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII). He was a Fulbright Scholar and earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from Northern Illinois University, USA. He holds an M.Sc. in Social Anthropology from the University of Oxford, UK, and an MA in Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies from UIN Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta. Before joining UIII, he taught politics and research methods at the Graduate School of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah. His research interests focus on comparative politics, politics of development, and religion and politics. His works have appeared in Politics and Policy, Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, Comparative Sociology, Journal of International Development, Journal of Development Perspective, and IDS Bulletin.

Gde Dwitya

Institute for Advanced Research (IFAR)

Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Gde Dwitya is a faculty member in the MA in Political Science Program, and a researcher at the Institute for Advanced Research (IFAR) at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII). He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University, where he was an Arryman Scholar in the Equality, Development, and Globalization Studies (EDGS) program. Before joining UIII, he was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Buffett Institute of Global Affairs and a visiting lecturer in the American Studies program at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). His research examines political regimes, environmental politics, and state policies on religion. His works have appeared in Muslim Politics Review, Studies in Transition States and Societies, Jurnal Penelitian Politik, Kawalu, Lembaran Sejarah, and Journal of Bali Studies.

Conference Partners

In collaboration with leading research institutions

IFAR Monash University Indonesia

IFAR Unika Atma Jaya

IFAR LPEM Universitas Indonesia

COMPOSE Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Latest Announcements

Stay updated with important dates and information

DeadlineApril 30, 2026

Early Bird Registration Closing Soon

Take advantage of early bird rates for conference registration. Deadline is approaching!

Call for PapersMay 15, 2026

Extended Submission Deadline

Paper submission deadline has been extended. Submit your research abstract and full paper now.

UpdateApril 10, 2026

Programme Schedule Released

The complete conference schedule is now available. Check the Programme section for details.

ImportantApril 5, 2026

Accommodation Booking Available

Special rates for conference attendees at partner hotels. Book now to secure your accommodation.

Venue & Location

Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Jl. Raya Bogor No.KM 33, RW.5, Cisalak, Kec. Sukmajaya, Kota Depok, Jawa Barat 16416

How to Get There

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By Air

Soekarno–Hatta International Airport (60 min)

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By Train

Gambir Station (60 min)

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By Car

Free parking available on-site

Nearby Hotels

The Margo Hotel (5 km)
Savero Hotel (5 km)