Wasisto Raharjo Jati: Becoming BRIN’s Most Productive Researcher in 2024
In total, Wasisto Raharjo Jati produced ten scientific publications throughout 2024. This achievement earned him the Most Productive Researcher award, presented by the Research Centre for Politics at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).
Wasisto has been working as a researcher for eleven years, focusing on the politics of the middle class, political movements, and civil society studies. Initially, writing was a way for Wasisto to earn extra pocket money, submitting articles to newspapers and print media. In 2014 he joined the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI). Five years later, in 2019, Wasisto successfully applied for an Australia Awards scholarship, enrolling in a Master of Political Science at the Australian National University (ANU). He attempted the IELTS exam seven times in order to qualify for admission.
The Impact of Living in a Multicultural Society
In addition to the world class universities, the multicultural environment was another factor in Wasisto’s decision to continue his studies in Australia. One of the research topics he has examined intensively is politics within Islam, and he believes Australia offers fresh insights into this area.
“Australia has many experts specialising in Indonesian studies. There is an abundance of data on Indonesia across Australian campuses. The cosmopolitan climate also shapes our perspectives as Muslims to become more inclusive and pluralistic amidst various differences.” Wasisto explained.
While studying in Australia, Wasisto admitted that he initially faced challenges due to the language barrier. He often spent time in his room replaying lecture recordings in order to fully grasp what the lecturers had conveyed.
Outside his academic commitments, Wasisto actively engaged in volunteering activities and joined organisations such as PPI Australia. For Wasisto, one of the more memorable moments during his studies was the close relationship he developed with his supervisor, Professor Edward Aspinall at ANU.
Leaving a Long-lasting Legacy of Knowledge
Wasisto’s studies in Australia did not run entirely smoothly, as they were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic forced him to completely revise his research proposal, which had initially involved fieldwork in Indonesia for data collection.
“At that time, I felt hopeless because I was determined to produce a thesis that would enable me to continue on to a PhD…. I was fortunate to have a supervisor who was incredibly supportive. He provided me with research data he had gathered, which I was then able to develop into my thesis,” he explained.
Wasisto’s research, which had initially focused on social media and its influence on young people’s political behaviour, eventually shifted towards analysing the role of religion in Indonesian politics. In 2024, Wasisto successfully published a book, Preferensi Politik Pemilih Muslim Indonesia Kontemporer (The Political Preferences of Contemporary Indonesian Muslim Voters), adapted from his Masters thesis, exploring how religion shapes the political preferences of Muslim voters in Indonesia.
Being a Mixed-Methods Political Science Researcher
Wasisto now leans more towards analysing quantitative data and makes frequent use of tools such as Stata and other statistical software. He is grateful for the opportunity to have studied big data during his time at ANU. More specifically, rather than relying on case studies or in-depth interviews, Wasisto now conducts much of his research using a critical discourse analysis approach. He believes this has become a distinctive strength of his work and has opened up opportunities for collaboration with academics outside Indonesia.
Beyond his academic growth, Wasisto also found that his experience of regularly corresponding via email with lecturers and academic staff at ANU gave him confidence. For example he reached out to Professor Ihsan Yilmaz, Chair of Islamic Studies at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University. Together, they published an article titled “Reevaluating Approaches to Religious Moderation at the Grassroots Level: The Role of Muslim Youth in Advancing Interfaith Dialogue” in Al-Jāmi‘ah: Journal of Islamic Studies in 2024. Wasisto also worked with Professor Yilmaz on another article, “Revisiting Women's Piety Movements in the Indonesian Context,” which was published in Studia Islamika in 2024.
For Wasisto, the experience of studying in Australia shaped not only his academic character but also his social and moral outlook, teaching him how to become more resilient in overcoming life’s challenges. Looking ahead, Wasisto is optimistic about obtaining a PhD, focusing his research on climate change.
“Issues such as climate change and carbon tax are currently being widely discussed. I want to explore issues of environmental sustainability from a religious perspective," he explained.
