Semarang, 7 August 2026 — The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Diponegoro (FISIP UNDIP), welcomed Dr. Jeffry Oktavianus, Assistant Professor at the Department of English and Communication, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), Hong Kong. The visit was part of the 2026 Diaspora Berdampak Program of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemendiktisaintek) and marked an important step toward strengthening academic collaboration between FISIP UNDIP and PolyU.
The collaboration was initiated by the Digital Communication Technology and Society Expertise Group (Kelompok Bidang Keahlian/KBK Teknologi Komunikasi Digital dan Masyarakat), Department of Communication Science, FISIP UNDIP, with the aim of developing cooperation in research, scholarly publication, community engagement, and international academic networking.
The Digital Communication Technology and Society Expertise Group is chaired by S. Rouli Manalu, Ph.D., and includes Djoko Setiabudi, M.M.; Nurist Surayya Ulfa, Ph.D.; Yohanes Thianika Budiarsa, MGMC.; Arfika Pertiwi Putri, M.I.Kom.; Kholidil Amin, M.I.Kom.; and Wildan Namora Ichsan Setiawan, M.I.Kom. The collaboration with Jeffry represents one of the group’s initiatives to establish a sustainable international academic agenda relevant to the study of digital communication technology and society.
During his visit to FISIP UNDIP, Jeffry participated in a series of academic activities involving faculty leaders, lecturers, researchers, and students.
One of the key activities was a discussion with FISIP UNDIP leaders and faculty members on research culture, scholarly publication, teaching, and community engagement. The discussion also provided an opportunity to exchange perspectives on academic practices at FISIP UNDIP and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, including how institutional environments can support research productivity, international collaboration, and the integration of research with teaching and community engagement.
Dean of FISIP UNDIP, Prof. Dr. Drs. Teguh Yuwono, M.Pol.Admin., expressed his strong support for the development of the collaboration. “This collaboration further demonstrates FISIP UNDIP’s commitment to advancing internationalization at both the faculty and university levels,” he said.
Through his statement, Prof. Dean—as he is affectionately known within the faculty—reaffirmed FISIP UNDIP’s support for cooperation between the two world-class universities. The collaboration is expected not only to facilitate knowledge exchange, but also to develop into concrete cooperation in research, publication, teaching, community engagement, and the strengthening of international academic networks.
Another important agenda was an intensive meeting with the Digital Communication Technology and Society Expertise Group. The meeting explored the development of joint research, joint publications, and joint community service initiatives involving Jeffry and FISIP UNDIP faculty members. The team also began formulating a sustainable collaborative research agenda intended to extend beyond the visit and evolve into medium-term cooperation over the coming years.
Several themes were discussed as potential areas for joint research, including migration and communication, migrants’ digital communication practices, strategic content creation, the management of digital visibility, relationships between migrants and their communities and audiences, as well as research based on online text and digital data analysis. The collaboration is also expected to generate joint publications and open opportunities for future international research initiatives.
A highlight of the academic visit was the Research Colloquium on Health Communication, Digital Media, & Social Inequality, held on Friday, 7 August 2026, at FISIP UNDIP.
During the colloquium, Jeffry shared his academic perspectives and research experience at the intersection of health communication, digital media, and social inequality. These themes closely intersect with his broader research agenda on communication, digital technologies, health, and migrant experiences.
The research colloquium attracted considerable interest from the academic community. Participants came not only from Universitas Diponegoro but also from institutions outside UNDIP. Among them were Naura Iftika, S.I.Kom., a researcher at PARES, Yogyakarta, and Talitha Ulfa, M.I.Kom., a lecturer at Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES). The participation of academics from different institutions broadened the exchange of ideas and created opportunities for wider research networking.
The colloquium was designed for lecturers as well as master’s and doctoral students. In addition to serving as a platform for academic discussion, it provided participants with an opportunity to further develop research ideas that could potentially lead to scholarly publications.
Jeffry is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English and Communication at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His research encompasses communication, new media, health, and social change. In several of his recent studies, Jeffry has also examined the experiences of migrant workers, including issues related to language, social integration, stigma, communication networks, and the quality of life of migrant communities in Hong Kong.
He is also involved in the Migration and Communication Hub, a knowledge-transfer initiative developed by faculty members of the Department of English and Communication at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The initiative supports migrant communities by strengthening English-language skills, digital literacy, and health communication through approaches grounded in the voices, experiences, and needs of migrant communities.
The alignment between the agenda of the Migration and Communication Hub and the expertise of FISIP UNDIP’s Digital Communication Technology and Society group provides an important foundation for future collaboration. During the visit, both parties explored opportunities to develop community engagement initiatives for migrant communities, including capacity-building programs related to communication and digital content production.
Through this series of activities, the collaboration initiated under the 2026 Diaspora Berdampak Program is designed to extend beyond short-term academic mobility. FISIP UNDIP, together with Jeffry and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, is building a foundation for joint research, joint publications, joint community service, capacity building, and sustainable academic collaboration.
The initiative further reflects FISIP UNDIP’s commitment to expanding its global academic networks and advancing research that contributes not only to scholarly development but also to meaningful social impact.