Alternative Knowledge Formation in Indonesia

Inaya Rakhma is an Indonesian academic who, for over two decades, has studied the rise of religious and social conservatism in post-authoritarian Indonesia, comparing it with similar dynamics in India and Turkey. She is the Inaugural Director of the Asia Research Centre and an associate professor in the Department of Communication, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, at the University of Indonesia. She is also an elected member of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences (AIPI) and an honorary member of the Indonesian Young Academy of Sciences (ALMI). Using cultural political economy and comparative analysis, her research examines how capitalist development shapes Indonesia and Asia, focusing on the interplay of knowledge and power in creating or restricting social spaces for radical change in countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. She is currently completing her monograph Knowledge Production and Indonesian Capitalism, to be published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2026, and serves as Co-editor of the Journal of Contemporary Asia.

Inaya Rakhma adalah seorang akademisi Indonesia yang selama lebih dari dua dekade meneliti menguatnya konservatisme agama dan sosial di Indonesia pasca-otoritarianisme, serta membandingkannya dengan dinamika serupa di India dan Turki. Ia merupakan Direktur Perdana Asia Research Centre sekaligus profesor madya di Departemen Ilmu Komunikasi, Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik, Universitas Indonesia. Inaya juga terpilih sebagai anggota Akademi Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (AIPI) dan menjadi anggota kehormatan Akademi Ilmuwan Muda Indonesia (ALMI). Melalui pendekatan ekonomi politik budaya dan analisis komparatif, penelitian Inaya menelaah bagaimana pembangunan kapitalis membentuk Indonesia dan kawasan Asia, dengan menyoroti hubungan antara pengetahuan dan kekuasaan dalam membuka atau membatasi ruang sosial bagi perubahan radikal di negara-negara seperti Indonesia, Thailand, dan Filipina. Saat ini, ia tengah menyelesaikan monograf berjudul Knowledge Production and Indonesian Capitalism yang akan diterbitkan oleh Palgrave Macmillan pada 2026, sekaligus menjabat sebagai Ko-editor Journal of Contemporary Asia.

Juli Sastrawan is an Indonesian writer and a researcher. Since 2022, he has focused on collective memory, the politics of remembrance, and historical narratives in literature and the arts. In 2024, he undertook a writing residency in Kyoto and served as a Guest Researcher Associate at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University. Currently, he is exploring the intersection between fictions and historical memories, particularly in the 1965 tragedy and the Hiroshima Atomic Bombing.

Juli Sastrawan adalah penulis dan peneliti asal Indonesia yang sejak 2022 berfokus pada memori kolektif, politik ingatan, serta narasi sejarah dalam sastra dan seni. Pada 2024, ia menjalani residensi menulis di Kyoto dan menjadi peneliti tamu di Pusat Kajian Asia Tenggara, Universitas Kyoto. Saat ini, ia tengah mengerjakan proyek penulisan yang mengeksplorasi bagaimana fiksi menjadi medium bagi penyintas dan saksi mata Peristiwa 1965 dan Bom Atom Hiroshima.

Marissa Saraswati is an Indonesian author, researcher, and Co-founder of Anotasi.org, a platform dedicated to fostering critical thought and building safe, collaborative, and meaningful spaces of knowledge for young people. Marissa began her career as a journalist, working for eight years before moving into communications with leading technology companies such as Traveloka and GoPay. Today, she devotes her time to developing Anotasi while also pursuing her writing and research. Her work explores the politics of knowledge and the experiences of young Indonesian women. She is deeply committed to the principle that knowledge must be produced responsibly. Marissa holds a master’s degree in Women and Gender Studies from San Francisco State University.

Marissa Saraswati adalah penulis, peneliti, sekaligus Co-founder Anotasi.org, sebuah platform yang berfokus pada pengembangan pemikiran kritis serta penciptaan ruang pengetahuan yang aman, kolaboratif, dan bermakna bagi anak muda. Ia memulai kariernya sebagai jurnalis dan menekuni profesi tersebut selama delapan tahun sebelum beralih ke bidang komunikasi di perusahaan teknologi terkenal seperti Traveloka dan GoPay. Saat ini, Marissa mencurahkan waktunya untuk mengembangkan Anotasi, sambil terus menulis dan melakukan penelitian. Karya-karyanya mengeksplorasi politik pengetahuan serta pengalaman perempuan muda Indonesia. Ia meyakini bahwa pengetahuan harus diproduksi dengan penuh tanggung jawab. Marissa meraih gelar Magister Kajian Perempuan dan Gender dari San Francisco State University.