Wahyudi Akmaliah, Ph.D is a researcher at the Research Centre of Society and Culture, National Research and Innovation Agency (PMB–BRIN). He received his bachelor’s degree in Islamic education from the Islamic State University of Sunan Kalijaga (2003), his master’s degree in cultural studies from the Sanata Dharma University, Indonesia (2008), and in International Peace Studies from the University for Peace, Costa Rica (2010), which the Nippon Foundation sponsored. His research interests are the Sociology of Knowledge and cultural studies, focusing on Islam, identity, and popular culture. He completed his Ph.D. at the Department of Malay Studies, National University of Singapore (2025). Currently, he is a research fellow in the Center for Digital Culture and Society (CDiCS) focusing on digital Islam and Islamic popular culture.
EDUCATION
- Ph.D in Malay Studies, National University of Singapore, Singapore (2025)
- M.A. in International Peace Studies, University for Peace, Costa Rica (2010)
- M.Hum in Cultural Studies, Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2008)
- B.A.. in Islamic Education, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2003)
RESEARCH GRANTS/AWARDS/HONORS
- Compose Writing Fellowship, “Reshaping the Structure: Muhammadiyah’s Adaptation Islamic Activism in Digital Religion,” Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (2023)
- Graduate Research Support Scheme, “Impact of Network Society on Social Movements and Religious Authority: The Case Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) in Post-Authoritarian Regime,” National University Singapore (2002-2003)
- Collaborative Research Grant Project Asian Public Intellectual (API), “Hearing the Historical Voices: Oral History of Political Violence in Southeast Asia Region”, Nippon Foundation (2013-2014)
- Research Grant, “Remembering the Legacies of Marcos Dictatorship: The Formation of Historical Memory and the Struggle for Justice in the Philippines: Islah and Politisation of Memory Among the Victims of Tanjung Priok”, Nippon Foundation (2011-2012)
- Research Fellow, Asia Research Institute (ARI), National University of Singapore (NUS) (2007)
KEY PUBLICATIONS
- Algorithmic Religious Authority: Ustadz Online and Mainstreaming Meaning of Jihad, Journal of Religion, Media and Digital Culture-Manuscript Accepted. 2025
- Visualisation of Islam: The Shift of Pemuda Hijrah and Pop Culture Production in Islamic Preaching, Indonesia and Malay World—Manuscript Accepted. 2025
- Revealing the Bitter Truth of the Past Violence and Its Racism, Asian Ethnicity. 2025
- Islam Transformatif: Theorizing Islamic Liberation Theology for Indonesian Muslim Societies, Theosophy: Journal of Sufism and Islamic Thought, 2024
- The ‘Elective Affinity’ of Islamic Populism, Mobilization and Social Media: A Case Study of Indonesian Politic Identity Within the Three Elections, Studia Islamika, 2024
- Reclaiming Moderate Islam in Nahdatul Ulama: Challenging the Dominant of Religious Authority in Digital Platform, Journal of Indonesian Islam, 2022
- Between Decolonization and Intellectual Nativism: Seeking the Indonesian Alternative Discourse on Social Sciences, Southeast Asian Social Science Review, 2022
- The Unholy Alliance of Islamic Populism and Political Entrepeneur in Jakarta Election: The Aftermath Implications” with co-author Ibnu Nadzir, Dinika: Academic Journal of Islamic Studies, 2021
- When Islamism and Pop Culture Meet: A Political Framing of the Movie 212: The Power of Love, Studia Islamika, 2020
- The Demise of Moderate Islam: new media, contestation, and reclaiming religious authorities, Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies, 2020
- Ria Ricis and New Platform of Islamic Popular Culture, Dinika: Academic Journal of Islamic Studies, 2019
- When Ulama Support A Pop Singer: Fatin Sidqiah and Islamic Popular Culture Discourse in the Post of Suharto regime, Al-Jami’ah: International Journal of Islamic Studies, 2014
