The Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM), in collaboration with the University of Southampton, UK, held the Societal Impact Symposium 2025 under the theme “From Ivory Tower to Community Square: Making Business and Economics Research Matter.” The symposium took place in a hybrid format on Monday (22/09), with onsite sessions at the Multimedia Room, FEB UGM, and Pertamina Tower Room 5.3, and online via Zoom Meeting.
The event was organized in response to growing expectations that business schools should produce innovative research and generate tangible social impact. This initiative stems from the so-called relevance gap in business and economics research, where academic outputs often fail to make a direct difference in society. As a result, there has been increasing advocacy for shifting research evaluation beyond academic metrics toward assessing its capacity to address real-world problems and bring positive influence to communities.
In his opening remarks, Gumilang Aryo Sahadewo, Ph.D., Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Collaboration, and Alumni Affairs at FEB UGM, highlighted that this year’s theme reflects a significant paradigm shift. The transition from the ivory tower model of knowledge to a community square approach represents a fundamental rethinking of academia’s role in society.
“Through this symposium, we hope to create a platform for academia to share impactful research, strengthen collaborations, and explore how business and economics can make greater contributions to Indonesian society,” he stated.
The Societal Impact Symposium was held in two parallel sessions attended by 18 researchers who presented their findings. The 18 researchers comprised 16 from FEB UGM and two from the University of Southampton. In addition, there was also a keynote speaker from the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK UGM), Adi Utarini, Ph.D., who presented research on the implementation of Wolbachia Aedes aegypti technology to control dengue fever cases in Indonesia.
Through the Societal Impact Symposium 2025, FEB UGM reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating the transition toward business and economics research that delivers meaningful impact to society. This aligns with the latest policy direction of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek), which encourages educational institutions to create positive and lasting change in communities.
Reportage by: Najwah Ariella Puteri
Editor: Kurnia Ekaptningrum
Sustainable Development Goals
