CRCMD UPN Veteran Jawa Timur Officially Established, Focusing on Research on Culture, Media, and Diversity

The Center for Research on Culture, Media, and Diversity (CRCMD) was officially established as a multidisciplinary research group within the Veteran National Development University (UPN) of East Java. The establishment of CRCMD represents a strategic step for the university in responding to the social transformations in the digital era that impact culture, media, and the diversity of Indonesian society.

CRCMD serves as a center for knowledge production, social innovation, and research-based policy advocacy oriented towards strengthening national identity, social cohesion, and global competitiveness. This research group was established to integrate studies of culture, media, and diversity systematically, critically, and applicably amidst the challenges of globalization and digitalization.

"Digital media is no longer merely a means of communication, but has become a primary space for the formation of social realities, identities, and cultural interactions. Indonesia, as a multicultural nation, faces challenges such as cultural homogenization, discourse polarization, and digital disinformation," said Achmad Zainal Abidin, chairman of CRCMD. According to him, this is why CRCMD exists: to strengthen media literacy, diversity, and national cultural resilience.

CRCMD's vision is to become a leading center for cultural, media, and diversity studies, imbued with a national spirit and impactful for the Indonesian archipelago. Its research focuses include media and social transformation, culture and identity, diversity and social inclusion, cultural tourism, and media governance and public policy.

This research group is led by Dr Zainal Abidin Achmad as coordinator and involves academics from across fields such as communication, visual communication design, linguistics, law, tourism, agribusiness, management, and industrial engineering. This multidisciplinary approach is one of CRCMD’s strengths in developing research responsive to global issues such as Artificial Intelligence, digital literacy, gender and media, popular culture, and smart society.

In addition to focusing on academic publications, CRCMD also emphasizes downstream research through the development of tourism villages, strengthening creative MSMEs, community digital literacy, and the development of public policy recommendations. Through this agenda, CRCMD is expected to become a leading center for cultural and media research that has a real impact on society and national development.