Jakarta — The 9th Annual WAPOR Asia Pacific Conference 2026 was successfully held in Jakarta from 27 to 29 July 2026. The international conference, held in Jakarta, marked an important moment for Indonesia in strengthening its position as an academic and professional hub for advancing public opinion research in the Asia-Pacific region.

Carrying the theme “Public Opinion in a Fast-Changing World,” the conference was organized by the Faculty of Social Sciences at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) in collaboration with the Indonesian Association for Public Opinion Surveys (PERSEPI). The event brought together academics, researchers, policymakers, media representatives, and public opinion practitioners from various countries to discuss developments, challenges, and innovations in public opinion research.

The successful organization of the WAPOR Asia Pacific Conference 2026 in Jakarta also reflected strong collaboration among academic institutions, professional associations, local government, and the international research community. Over the course of three days, the conference featured dynamic discussions on the role of data, public opinion, and scientific methods in responding to rapid social, technological, political, and environmental change.

The event also received support from the Governor of Jakarta Province, Pramono Anung, who stated that conferences such as this could serve as a platform for international meetings and exchanges of ideas.

“The 9th Annual WAPOR Asia Pacific Conference 2026 is a forum that brings together academics, researchers, policymakers, and public opinion practitioners from various countries. The Jakarta Provincial Government is certainly grateful that this event was held in Jakarta. I am open to institutions using City Hall for international conferences such as this,” he said.

According to him, the hosting of this conference in Jakarta will further strengthen Jakarta’s image as a global city that is open to research, innovation, and collaboration. “May Jakarta become a platform for the birth of new knowledge and collaboration in public opinion research across Indonesia and the Asia-Pacific region. And lastly, if you have brought plenty of money, please do not forget to shop in Jakarta,” Governor Pramono said.

WAPOR Asia Pacific President Professor Matthew Gray from the Australian National University added that the conference served as an important space for researchers and practitioners to discuss emerging challenges in public opinion research. He noted that the Asia-Pacific region’s diversity of political systems, cultures, and religious traditions presents both challenges and opportunities in understanding public views.

“UIII has done an excellent job in hosting and organizing this conference. The event brought together speakers and participants from many countries, with lively discussions, strong papers, and highly professional organization,” said Matthew Gray.

The event successfully gathered researchers from across Asia to present findings from their respective countries in Indonesia. They came to share trends and research results in a world full of challenges and rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI).

Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at UIII and Chair of the Organizing Committee, Philips J. Vermonte, said that Indonesia’s appointment as host reflected its strategic position as one of the world’s largest democracies.

“WAPOR Asia Pacific has held its conference for the past nine years, and last year the Faculty of Social Sciences of Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) was asked to serve as host because a country as large as Indonesia is highly important as the host of this annual meeting. Hopefully, this will be a contribution to Indonesia, where public opinion is becoming stronger and increasingly important in political and policy processes,” he explained.

In addition to methodological issues in public opinion research, including the use of artificial intelligence, the conference also addressed various themes such as democracy and governance, climate change and the environment, religion and identity, and public perceptions of geopolitical dynamics in the region.

UIII Rector Prof. Jamhari, in his remarks, emphasized UIII’s commitment to promoting cross-cultural dialogue in responding to shared global challenges. With the successful organization of the WAPOR Asia Pacific Conference 2026 in Jakarta, UIII and its partners strengthened Indonesia’s contribution to building a reliable, transparent, and policy-relevant public opinion research ecosystem in a rapidly changing world.

PERSEPI Chairperson Djayadi Hanan added that the media award was presented to encourage the use of increasingly high-quality public opinion research.

“As a co-organizer, PERSEPI presented the PERSEPI Media Award to media organizations in Indonesia with a long track record of using and developing research, particularly public opinion research, both in news reporting and in the analysis of socio-political and other public issues,” said Djayadi.