On 1 and 2 September 2026, the Institute for Social Science Studies (IPSAS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), participated in the Regional Seminar on Community Issues 2026 (SSIK) Series VII, held at Clari Hotel, Kendari, Indonesia. The seminar is organised on a rotational basis among four universities, with this year's edition hosted by the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Halu Oleo (UHO), Kendari, Indonesia. In 2025, SSIK was registered as a patent through Putra Science Park (PSP) as a seminar conceptualised and branded under the Institute for Social Science Studies. This year's seminar also involved representatives from Universitas Abulyatama (UNAYA) and Universitas Teuku Umar (UTU), Indonesia, under the theme “Strengthening Community Resilience in Addressing Global Uncertainty, Crises and Conflicts.”

The programme commenced with a keynote address delivered by YBrs. Associate Professor Haliza Abdul Rahman, Head of the Laboratory of Youth in Leadership, Politics and Citizenship. Among the issues discussed were today's increasingly complex global landscape, in which communities face interconnected challenges spanning politics, society, the economy, the environment, technology and public health. The discussion also highlighted that resilience is not merely the ability to recover, but refers to the collective capacity to anticipate change, adapt to disruptions and transform challenges into opportunities for sustainable development. Resilience was also examined as a multidimensional concept that brings together scholarly perspectives, empirical findings and community-based experiences. The programme continued with the launch of the book From Policy to People: Governance and Community Role in Disaster Management in Malaysia and Indonesia.

IPSAS submitted three (3) presentation entries, with one (1) presentation delivered physically by YBhg. Dr Rusli Abdullah, IPSAS Adjunct Professor, and two (2) presentations delivered online by YBrs. Associate Professor Haliza Abdul Rahman and Ms Nur Alya Abdul Rahim, respectively. IPSAS's participation in this edition of SSIK was particularly significant in the field of information technology within communities, as YBhg. Dr Rusli Abdullah was announced as the Best Presenter of SSIK 2026. In addition, two UPM experts in the fields of environmental studies and information technology were invited to deliver Knowledge Lectures to first-year students at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences.

The SSIK 2026 agenda continued with a community programme with the Tanea-Cialam community at Agrowisata California, Cialam, Sulawesi, Indonesia. The programme included a forum and a visit around an area developed through an integrated agricultural approach to address global crises.

The implementation and participation in SSIK have had a significant impact as a high-impact academic platform that translates the strategic framework of UPM's True North into tangible action, while supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and enhancing UPM's position in the QS World University Rankings. These efforts are further strengthened through the establishment of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between UPM and three universities in Indonesia that have been actively involved in the implementation of SSIK since 12 to 13 November 2019 at UPM.

Each SSIK series is specifically designed around themes that examine critical community issues, making it a platform for knowledge integration that supports the agenda of the United Nations (UN):

SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) & Society 5.0: For example, editions focusing on food security have discussed approaches to empowering rural communities to address food supply chain crises through digital technology.

SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): Discussions focus on community resilience in addressing global uncertainty, social conflicts and climate change to build safe and sustainable settlement ecosystems.

SDG 3 & SDG 10 (Good Health & Reduced Inequalities): Discussions assess the impact of digital transformation, such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0), on community well-being to ensure that no group is left behind in the development process, together with international strategic partners.

Through IPSAS's organisation and participation in SSIK, UPM directly fulfils several key assessment criteria of the QS World University Rankings, including Academic Reputation, Employer Reputation and Citations per Faculty. It is hoped that this regional collaboration will continue to strengthen and expand through the involvement of other universities across Southeast Asia, in line with UPM's True North framework of Global Eminence, demonstrating UPM's consistent commitment to bringing research and innovation to communities both nationally and internationally.

Date of Input: 05/09/2026 | Updated: 05/09/2026 | alyarahim