Meet Our Fellows — Indonesian Science Affairs Fellowship 2026/01
The Indonesian Science Affairs Fellowship 2026 is moving into its main fellowship phase.
The programme began with 92 applicants from diverse professional and educational backgrounds, based across Indonesia and abroad. From this pool, 12 participants were selected for the pre-fellowship programme, where they took part in introductory sessions on the foundations of science journalism.
Following the pre-fellowship stage, five participants have been selected to continue as Fellows in the Indonesian Science Affairs Fellowship 2026/01:
Ayu Nabilah — Freelance Writer
Gert Tobing — Neuroscientist
M. Widiyanto — Popular Science Writer
Lika Fuaddah — Documentary Writer
Susi Gustiana — Journalist
Their backgrounds are different, but they share an interest in understanding science and bringing evidence-based stories to wider audiences.
Over the course of the fellowship, they will develop reporting projects on a wide range of topics: from peatlands and Indonesia’s carbon economy, AI agents in biomedical research, and the production and communication of scientific knowledge, to ancient genomes and human migration across the Indonesian archipelago, and collaborations between researchers and citizen scientists in whale shark conservation.
The fellowship is not simply about learning how to “translate” science into accessible language. Fellows will learn how to find science stories, understand how science works, read and critically assess scientific papers, interview scientists, investigate research integrity, engage with metascience, and report on environmental and scientific controversies.
At the heart of the fellowship is a simple idea: strong science journalism requires more than the ability to explain science clearly. It also requires scepticism, evidence literacy, an understanding of how scientific knowledge is produced, the ability to ask critical questions, and the capacity to place science within its broader social context.
The Indonesian Science Affairs Fellowship is a collaboration between Indonesian Science Affairs, the Society of Indonesian Science Journalists (SISJ), and ScienceWatchdog.id, contributing to a longer-term effort to strengthen the science journalism ecosystem in Indonesia.
Congratulations to our five Fellows. The journey has begun.
More about the programme: [Indonesian Science Affairs Fellowship 2026/01](https://sisj-indonesia.org/berita-sisj/indonesian-science-affairs-fellowship-2026-1)
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