Student Information
Graduate StudentTransborder Studies
The College of Lib Arts & Sci
Long Bio
Vyan Tashwirul Afkar is a PhD student in Transborder Studies at Arizona State University under a full scholarship from the Fulbright Program (U.S. Department of State). He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and a Bachelor’s degree in Geography, with research interests in the intersections of geography, global politics, and transnational communities. He has over six years of experience in Indonesia’s higher education sector and has served as a Policy Advisor at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology and the Coordinating Ministry of Community Empowerment of the Republic of Indonesia.
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Transborder Studies. the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University, US. (2025 - now)
- Master of Science (M.Sc) in International Relations. Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Indonesia, ID. (2021 - 2023)
- Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) Geography. Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Indonesia, ID. (2014 - 2019)
Google Scholar URL
Research Interests
- Transnationalism
- Islamic activism and solidarity
- Conflict and peacebuilding
- Political geography
Publications
- Afkar, V. T., & Sundrijo, D. A. (2023). Defining Islamic Transnationalism: A Case Study of Indonesia’s Nahdlatul Ulama. Global Strategis, 17(2), 363–380. https://doi.org/10.20473/jgs.17.2.2023.363-380
- Afkar, V.T., & Masud, M.I. (2023). The Securitization of Islamic Radicalism Issue in Indonesia 2014 - 2019. Jurnal Soshum Insentif, 6(1), 01-10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36787/jsi.v6i1.937
- Afkar, V.T. (2022). Diplomatic Relations Between Indonesia and Taliban Afghanistan: a Neoclassical Perspective. Jurnal Hubungan Luar Negeri, 7(2), 116-131. https://jurnal.kemlu.go.id/index.php/jurnal-hublu/issue/view/5/5
- Afkar, V.T. (2020). Nahdlatul Ulama's Student Association' Efforts in Optimizing Demographic Dividend Through Community Empowerment. Majalah Lensa Remaja IPNU, 14 – 17.
- Afkar, V.T. (2019). Territorial Claims Between Islamic Groups in Al Bahri Mosque Jatinegara Jakarta. Depok: Universitas Indonesia.
- Endawansa, A., Afkar, V.T. (2017). the Urgency of Political Diplomation in Middle of Economic Loss and Environmental Degradation: a Case Study of Indonesia - Palau Borders. Kumpulan Esai Airpol 3.0. Surabaya: Airlangga University Press, 133 – 141.
- Afkar, V.T. (2016). Climate Change and Territorial Threat of Indonesia Maritime. Majalah Geospasial, Vol. 14 (2).
- Afkar, V.T. Putra, M.I.J. (2016). Determination of Maritime Borders Based on Absolute Geodetic Datum as Anticipation of Territorial Conflicts Due to Climate Change. Environmental Geography Student Association Proceeding. Yogyakarta: Fakultas Geografi UGM.
Honors / Awards
- Fulbright PhD Scholars, the US Department of State, 2025 - now.
- Indonesia Official Youth Representative at the Bilateral Meeting Indonesia – China, at Beijing and Tianjin, China, 2024.
- UI Delegate at the International Student Leaders Meeting (ISLM) at Diponegoro University, Semarang,2022.
- Erasmus+ International Mobility Program Awardee 2022 di Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Turkiye, 2022.
- Highest Scorer (94.4/100) for the Thesis Course in the Department of Geography, Faculty of Mathematicsand Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia, Even Semester 2018/2019.
- Delegate to the Youth for Peatland Camp organized by the Indonesian Peatland Restoration Agency, 2019.
- Indonesia Representative in Youth Town Hall Southeast Asia Region (SEAR) oleh World Health Organization (WHO), 2019.
- Indonesia Delegate to Japan – East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths
- (JENESYS) 2.0 in Tokyo & Kumamoto, Japan, 2018.
- UI Delegation in Social Sciences and Humanities Immerse Program in the University of Malaya, KualaLumpur, Malaysia 2018.
- Best Awardee Pemimpin Peradaban Angkatan 1 Scholarship, 2016 – 2018.
Editorships
- Haris, A. (2022). Pendidikan Tinggi Pascapandemi [Post-pandemic Higher Education].. Jakarta: UI Press(Editor).
- Departemen Kajian Strategis. (2017). Lentera Pijar Indonesia 2017. Jakarta: BEM UI (Editor).
Work History
- Policy Advisor for Synchronization, Coordination, and Control, Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment of the Republic of Indonesia, January – August 2025.
- Policy Advisor to Director General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, March – December 2024.
- Executive Secretary to Vice-Rector in Academic & Student Affairs, Universitas Indonesia, April2021 – February 2024.
- Special Staff to Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, Universitas Indonesia, December 2020 – March2021.
- Rector UI Selection Committee (P3CR UI) 2019 – 2024, June 2019 – September 2019.
- Student Representative in Board of Trustees (MWA) Universitas Indonesia, January 2 018 –December 2018.