In academia, the word dialogue often sounds clich\u00e9. But for him, dialogue is a demanding yet decisive practice. Not merely hearing, but listening\u2014with a willingness to understand, reflect, and accommodate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMany people think they have listened, when in reality the sound simply goes in one ear and out the other,\u201d he said with a slight smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He has learned that orders are sometimes necessary. But too many orders can paralyze academic vitality. Knowledge does not grow from instructions, he said, but from safe spaces to think differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A UNIVERSITY THAT IS NEVER SIMPLE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A university, in his experience, is neither neat nor linear. It thrives on differences\u2014on disciplinary egos, long histories, seniority, and unwritten personal relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is a big house with many heads,\u201d Wawan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Within a faculty, some departments feel the oldest, some feel the most relevant, and others quietly feel marginalized. All of this is real. Denying it only breeds deeper conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the beginning, he chose not to deny reality: that universities are fragmented; that consensus does not arise automatically; that leadership requires emotional endurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KNOWLEDGE AND SOCIAL UNEASE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Amid governance matters, another unease persisted: what is the purpose of this knowledge?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wawan witnessed firsthand social inequality in Yogyakarta\u2014a region often praised for education and tourism, yet bearing social wounds in its peripheral communities. The gap between rich and poor has not narrowed, despite shifting development slogans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf knowledge stops at journals, we fail,\u201d Wawan stated firmly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From this unease emerged a heavy yet simple commitment: knowledge must have impact. Not as a slogan, but in research direction, topic selection, and the courage to take scholarly positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Climate change, digital transformation, and social inclusion once seemed distant from social and political sciences. But that is precisely the challenge: bringing knowledge out of its comfort zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NETWORKS AND THE ROAD BACK TO SOCIETY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n With limited campus funding, he realized that universities cannot survive on their own. They must open themselves outward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Collaboration with local governments became an entry point\u2014initially simple discussions on planning and policy assistance. Over time, these relationships grew into trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLocal governments actually need universities. They often just don\u2019t know where to begin,\u201d he said plainly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Internationally, another dynamic unfolded. The obligation to send students to partner universities forced him to aggressively build global networks\u2014not for rankings, but so students and faculty could broaden their horizons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes exhausting. Sometimes frustrating. But he believes a university that isolates itself will slowly die.<\/p>\n\n\n\n CARING FOR PEOPLE, NOT JUST REPUTATION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Behind publications, international networks, and scholarly reputation lies one essential element: the people within.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He spoke about administrative staff\u2014rarely highlighted in performance reports, yet sustaining daily campus life. About junior faculty pressured by targets, and senior faculty bearing moral responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is no point in excellence if our community is exhausted and not well,\u201d Wawan said softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For him, leadership is not about leaving policy legacies, but ensuring the university remains a livable home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n LEADERSHIP WITHOUT HEROISM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n He does not present himself as a model or offer instant formulas. He shares only experience: that academic leadership is quiet work, full of compromise, rarely applauded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet therein lies its meaning. \u201cKnowledge has a long lifespan. We are only temporary guardians,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amid increasingly noisy campuses filled with targets and metrics, perhaps that is the most human reminder: that academic leadership is ultimately about safeguarding direction\u2014and one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reporter: Andri Wicaksono, Photographer: Fajar Budi Harsakti<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ketegangan bukan hal yang asing, dalam rumah tangga lembaga akademik seperti pada Fakultas. Menjelang akhir tahun anggaran, suara-suara berbeda kerap bertemu: kepentingan fakultas, aspirasi departemen, kegelisahan dosen, hingga tuntutan administrasi yang tak pernah berhenti. Bagi sebagian orang, ini sekadar rutinitas birokrasi. Bagi sebagian lain, inilah medan sunyi kepemimpinan akademik. Paparan oleh Wawan Mas’udi, S.IP., M.P.A., […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":295,"featured_media":17418,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[136],"tags":[298,307,289,291],"class_list":["post-17417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-berita-terbaru","tag-sdg-10-mengurangi-ketidaksetaraan","tag-sdg-17-kemitraan-untuk-mencapai-tujuan","tag-sdg-3-kesehatan-dan-kesejahteraan-yang-baik","tag-sdg-4-pendidikan-berkualitas"],"gutentor_comment":0,"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fkg.ugm.ac.id\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/30\/2026\/02\/image-6.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n