SANDEQ: The International Conference on Social, Politics, and Law Sciences (ICoSPOLs) 2026 brings together distinguished scholars, researchers, and practitioners from around the world. Guided by this year's theme, "Global Governance and Sustainable Development: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Contemporary Global Challenges," our speakers share insights that bridge disciplines and borders. Through keynote addresses and invited talks, each session is designed to spark dialogue, exchange ideas, and inspire meaningful collaboration across the social, political, and legal sciences.
Keynote Speakers
Our keynote speakers are internationally respected thinkers whose work shapes contemporary debates in the social, political, and legal sciences. They open the conference with forward-looking perspectives on global governance and sustainable development — ideas intended to challenge assumptions and open new pathways for research and practice.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Prof. Baiq L.S.W. Wardhani
Professor of International Relations, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia
Baiq L.S.W. Wardhani, Ph.D. is a Professor of International Relations at Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia, with more than three decades of experience in teaching, research, academic leadership, and international collaboration. She has served as a faculty member in the Department of International Relations since 1988 and has taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses, including International Relations Theory, Globalization, Cosmopolitanism, Foreign Aid, and Asia-Pacific Studies. She earned her Ph.D. in Politics from Monash University, Australia, where she also completed her Master of Arts and Graduate Diploma studies.
An internationally recognized scholar, Professor Wardhani has participated in numerous academic and professional programs worldwide, including appointments as a Visiting Scholar at the Centre of Southeast Asia Studies, National Chengchi University, Taiwan, and academic programs at leading institutions in the United States and Europe. Her research focuses on Indonesia’s foreign policy, human security, the South Pacific, blue economy, transnational identities, environmental diplomacy, and Global South studies. She has led and collaborated on nationally and internationally funded research projects supported by organizations such as Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Malaysia’s Ministry of Higher Education, LPDP, and the University of Warsaw.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Muhammad Syaroni Rofii, Ph.D.
Lecturer in National Resilience and Security Studies, Graduate School of Sustainable Development, Universitas Indonesia
Muhammad Syaroni Rofii, Ph.D. is a Lecturer in National Resilience and Security Studies at the Graduate School of Sustainable Development, Universitas Indonesia, and serves as Head of the Research Cluster on Resilience, Defense, and Security. He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations from Marmara University, Türkiye, following a Master’s degree in International Relations from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). His academic and professional career focuses on international relations, diplomacy, foreign policy, state resilience, security governance, and transnational organized crime.
His scholarly work spans issues of international security, defense cooperation, human security, migration, and regional governance. He has published extensively in national and international journals, including research on human trafficking, online gambling networks, military technology, defense industry cooperation, and national resilience, as well as authoring the book The International Dimension of National Resilience. In addition to his academic contributions, he has been involved in policy-oriented research for the Government of Indonesia, including the National Youth Grand Design and strategic studies on security governance and crisis response.
Invited Speakers
Our invited speakers bring specialized expertise across the conference's core themes. Drawing on rich academic and professional experience, they enrich the discussions with focused insights, fresh evidence, and practical perspectives that connect scholarship to real-world challenges.
INVITED SPEAKER
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aarie Glas
Associate Professor of Political Science, Northern Illinois University, United States
Dr. Aarie Glas is a distinguished scholar of International Relations and Comparative Politics whose work focuses on diplomacy, governance, Southeast Asia and ASEAN, comparative regionalism, social theory, and qualitative research methodologies. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Northern Illinois University (NIU), United States, where he is also a Faculty Associate at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies and the Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies. Dr. Glas earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto, specializing in International Relations and Comparative Politics, following an M.Sc. in International Relations from the London School of Economics and a summa cum laude B.A. in History and Political Science from McMaster University.
Dr. Glas is the author of the award-winning book Practicing Peace: Conflict Management in Southeast Asia and South America (Oxford University Press, 2022), which was recognized as one of International Affairs’ Top 10 Books of 2023. He has also published extensively in leading journals such as International Affairs, European Journal of International Relations, Journal of Global Security Studies, Pacific Affairs, and Global Studies Quarterly. His research explores diplomatic norms, regional governance, conflict management, environmental governance, ASEAN studies, and interpretive approaches to political research. His scholarly contributions have been recognized through numerous awards, including the ISA Asia-Pacific Best New Scholar Award and Best Conference Paper Award, as well as a British Academy Visiting Fellowship. Beyond academia, he regularly engages with policymakers, international organizations, and research communities through invited lectures, policy briefings, and collaborations across North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
INVITED SPEAKER
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suyatno
Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Malaysia
Dr. Suyatno Ladiqi is an Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the Faculty of Law and International Relations, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Malaysia. His work focuses on democracy, globalization, international political economy, governance, public policy, migration, and Southeast Asian politics. He has also been awarded numerous international fellowships and research grants, conducting academic activities and collaborative research in countries including Taiwan, Sweden, Hungary, South Korea, Thailand, and the United States.
Prior to joining UniSZA, Dr. Ladiqi held academic appointments at several leading institutions, including Universiti Utara Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universitas Airlangga, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” in Yogyakarta and Surabaya, and STPMD “APMD” Yogyakarta. Dr. Ladiqi earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Universiti Sains Malaysia, an M.Sc. in Political Science and International Relations from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Universitas Jember. His extensive publication record includes books, journal articles, and book chapters on democracy, governance, globalization, migration, security studies, political economy, international relations, and Southeast Asian affairs. His research has been published in internationally indexed journals and has contributed to scholarly and policy discussions on regional and global issues.
INVITED SPEAKER
Dr. Matthana Rodyim
Lecturer, Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia (RILCA), Mahidol University, Thailand
Dr. Matthana Rodyim is a political scientist, researcher, and lecturer specializing in political discourse, political anthropology, urban studies, and contemporary Southeast Asian politics. He is currently a Lecturer at the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia (RILCA), Mahidol University, Thailand, and an Affiliated Researcher at the Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS), Chulalongkorn University. His research explores the intersections of language, power, political fear, spatial politics, digital public spaces, and identity politics, with particular attention to democratic governance and LGBTQ+ empowerment in Southeast Asia.
Dr. Rodyim earned his Ph.D. from National Chengchi University in Taiwan, following a Master of Arts degree from Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and a Bachelor of Arts from Thammasat University, Thailand. Prior to his academic career, he worked as a journalist covering international affairs for leading Thai media organizations, including Khaosod and Prachachart Business Newspaper, experiences that continue to inform his critical perspectives on politics and society. His scholarly work has been published in leading journals such as Contemporary Southeast Asia, Journal of Homosexuality, Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, and the Taiwan Journal of Southeast Asia Studies. His research addresses topics including authoritarianism, political fear, democratization, LGBTQ+ inclusion, identity politics, religion and security, and socio-political transformations in Southeast Asia.