The Population Studies Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada conducted an outreach and promotional visit to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of Surakarta City as part of efforts to strengthen academic and institutional networks in the fields of statistics and population studies. The visit took place on 9th December 2025 and was led by Prof. Dr. Sri Rum Giyarsih, S.Si., M.Si., Chief of the Population Studies Doctoral Program.
During the agenda, Prof. Sri Rum Giyarsih presented the profile of the Population Studies Doctoral Program, including its vision, areas of focus, and the academic strengths offered to staff and structural officials of BPS Surakarta City. The presentation covered the curriculum structure, research interest areas, and opportunities for research development relevant to population dynamics and regional development.
The Population Studies Doctoral Program emphasized the importance of strong demographic analysis as a foundation for public policy formulation, particularly at the city and regency levels. The BPS is viewed as a strategic partner in providing official data, strengthening methodologies, and developing evidence-based applied research.
Representatives of BPS Surakarta City warmly welcomed the opportunity for collaboration with UGM, particularly in enhancing human resource capacity through advanced study and research-based training. This visit opened opportunities for BPS staff interested in pursuing doctoral studies in population studies to deepen their analytical skills and contribute more significantly to national and regional statistical policymaking.
Prof. Sri Rum Giyarsih emphasized that partnerships of universities and BPS are not merely about knowledge transfer, but also about building a mutually reinforcing knowledge ecosystem among data producers, analysts, and policymakers. The sustained collaboration, strategic issues such as urbanization, migration, inequality, and population structure dynamics are expected to be examined more comprehensively and have a direct impact on the quality of development planning.
This outreach and promotional activity is expected to serve as an initial step toward broader cooperation of the Population Studies Doctoral Program and BPS Surakarta City. the collaboration may be developed in the form of joint research, policy brief preparation, development of population mapping models, as well as the organization of scientific forums and thematic training programs.