SURAKARTA — The Communication Science Program at the Faculty of Communications and Informatics (FKI), Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening international academic collaboration by hosting The International Conference on Communication, Society, and Digital Media (COMSOCIA) 2026.
The international conference, held in a hybrid format at the Mercure Hotel Surakarta on Thursday (July 9, 2026), brought together academics, researchers, practitioners, and students from five countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, and France. This annual event serves as a strategic platform for academics to share research findings while building collaborative research networks in the fields of communication, society, and digital media.
This year, COMSOCIA 2026 recorded high enthusiasm, with 74 scientific papers presented across both offline and online panel sessions. Around 120 participants from various universities and institutions took part in the scientific forum.
The Chairman of the COMSOCIA 2026 Organizing Committee, Andika Sanjaya, revealed that the quality of the submitted manuscripts indicates the development of communication research that is increasingly innovative and relevant to the challenges of the digital era.
“The presented papers demonstrate excellent quality and offer innovative ideas in addressing various communication issues in the digital age. We hope this conference becomes a collaborative space capable of generating joint research and strengthening international academic networks,” he stated.
According to Andika, COMSOCIA is not merely a venue for disseminating research findings but also functions as a meeting ground for academics from various countries to establish sustainable partnerships. Through this forum, the UMS Communication Science Program continues to strengthen its position as an institution that actively promotes the development of international-standard research.
As a reputable scientific forum, COMSOCIA 2026 featured five keynote speakers from various domestic and international institutions. They were Muhammad Sulhan (Universitas Gadjah Mada), Dian Purworini (Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta), Prof. Gedala Mulliah Naidoo (University of Zululand, South Africa), Prof. Syahruddin Awang Ahmad (Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia), and Leila Moudjadi (Toulouse University, France).
A variety of strategic issues were the focus of the speakers’ discussions, ranging from global communication dynamics, digital media transformation, and information governance, to the challenges and opportunities of utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) across various fields.
In addition to providing a space for academic discussion, COMSOCIA 2026 also offered publication opportunities for authors. Papers that pass the selection process will be recommended for publication in reputable international journals indexed in Scopus Q1, national journals accredited SINTA 2 through SINTA 5, and international journals published by LSP Malaysia.
Appreciation for the organization of COMSOCIA 2026 was also expressed by Prof. Gedala Mulliah Naidoo, Deputy Dean of Research, Innovation and Community Engagement at the University of Zululand, South Africa. He noted that the conference organized by FKI UMS was conducted professionally and holds great prospects for continuing to grow as an international-standard academic forum.
“I am confident that COMSOCIA will continue to evolve into an outstanding international conference. With various improvements and innovations implemented each year, this conference has significant potential to become a leading conference in the field of communication science,” he expressed.
Through the execution of COMSOCIA 2026, FKI UMS has once again demonstrated its commitment to supporting the internationalization of higher education, expanding cross-border collaboration networks, and producing research that makes a tangible contribution to the development of communication science at the global level.