The Political Science Program (PSIP) at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Universitas Airlangga, was officially established in the 1982/1983 academic year, coinciding with Indonesia’s increasing authoritarian consolidation. Its foundation was predicated on the recognition of political science as an essential discipline for analyzing governance, institutional development, and democratic consolidation. As a field of inquiry, political science interrogates the formulation and execution of collective goals, the interplay between state and non-state actors, and the structural conditions shaping political behavior. In Indonesia, this discipline assumes critical importance in contextualizing democracy within the framework of Pancasila, ensuring that national political development remains attuned to both local values and universal democratic principles. Anchored in a critical and anticipatory pedagogical approach, PSIP-FISIP Universitas Airlangga cultivates analytical rigor, encourages scholarly inquiry into sociopolitical transformations, and fosters an academic environment that is both reflexive and engaged with real-world political challenges. Its alumni have substantively contributed to political institutions, public administration, and policy formulation, demonstrating the applied relevance of political science education in governance and democratic strengthening. Given the accelerated political shifts of the past decade, PSIP continually advances its methodological and theoretical frameworks to address emerging governance challenges, including institutional performance, electoral integrity, environmental security, digital democracy and public participation. Recognizing the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of political analysis, the program emphasizes comparative political studies to bridge the epistemological gap between global theoretical paradigms and Indonesia’s distinct political realities. As democratic governance becomes more complex, particularly with the proliferation of human rights discourses and digital political engagement, PSIP remains committed to fostering scholarship that not only advances theoretical debates but also informs policy design, institutional reform, and the broader democratization agenda in Indonesia and beyond.
