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Virdika Rizky Utama

@virdikaa

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Pedestrian | Curiousity Seeker.

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In this sweet instance, there's love and dreams spoken out loud. A kiss evokes both joy and tears, and we embrace both our rights and wrongs. As long as our youthful blood flows through our veins, it remains vibrant and determined, never ceasing until the end, refusing to yield. 🌻

📸&📹: @menuairasaphoto
🏛️: @muskitnasofficial

#VIRDIHATIARA taken in Museum Kebangkitan Nasional by @virdikaa

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3 years ago

Since last year, these books have only been on my wishlist. The reason, of course, was money. Income in Indonesia simply doesn’t allow for buying imported books—especially with the weakening rupiah. It wasn’t that I couldn’t afford them, but I had to prioritize loan payments and daily living expenses.

Fortunately, I received a scholarship from NTU. That gave me the chance to finally buy and read the books I’ve long wanted. Were the books cheaper, or was the scholarship larger? Not really, considering the cost of living here. But at least I now have some room to buy books, even if it means eating hawker meals at 5 SGD per portion—twice a day.

Yes, I willingly sacrifice food expenses for books. I’ve been trained for this since my days in the campus press, sharing meals with friends and eating whatever we could afford from pooled money.

I always remember and try to live by my late father’s words: “We’re not from a wealthy family. If you want something, you must be willing to work harder or endure a bit more hardship for it.”

And now it’s recess week. So I finally have more time to finish these books. Two are already done—one of them I’ve reviewed, and it will be published in Political Science Quarterly. 🙂 by @virdikaa

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20 days ago

Soon. by @virdikaa

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24 days ago

Post-Reformasi Indonesia did not simply replace informal coercive actors with formal institutions. Instead, it created a more fragmented political environment in which organisations outside the state could develop legal identities, implement social programmes, maintain electoral relationships and establish local constituencies while retaining the ability to mobilise people on the street. Read: https://stratsea.com/2026/09/18/blurred-lines/ by @virdikaa

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a month ago

Teruntuk teman hidup, teman diskusi, teman debat, teman bercanda, teman mesra-ku,

Selamat ulang tahun, @virdikaa! 🌻 by @virdikaa

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a month ago

It’s been 11 years. And will be 11 decades, 11 centuries and everlasting. 🌻 by @virdikaa

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a month ago

Since starting my PhD, I have had much less time to write opinion pieces or give media interviews. Having worked as a journalist, though, I know how difficult it can be to find the right source on a tight deadline. So between classes, readings, and research, I have become much more selective about the requests I accept.

Today, an interview with me appeared in The Jakarta Post, where I discussed the risks of governments tolerating or relying on informal coercive networks, and argued that presidential responsibility goes beyond explicit orders to the wider ecosystem of power, access, protection, and boundaries a government chooses to maintain.

I also published an opinion piece in Tempo on PBNU’s independence after its latest leadership transition, focusing on how proximity to state power can gradually narrow an organisation’s room to say no, even without direct intervention from the government.

It is good, every now and then, to stay connected to journalism and public debate alongside doctoral life. by @virdikaa

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2 months ago

Pretty happy to see this piece in today’s special Independence Day edition of Kompas.

I wrote about something I have been thinking about for a while. What happens when younger Indonesians are no longer simply asking whether they love their country, but whether Indonesia still makes sense as a place to build a future?

The piece is really about trust, opportunity, criticism, and why a republic cannot rely on being inherited forever.

Indonesia has to keep giving people reasons to choose it.

Published in the 18 August 2026 print edition of @hariankompas You can read the English version: https://virdikaa.substack.com/p/a-republic-that-must-be-chosen-anew by @virdikaa

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2 months ago

My piece to “celebrate” Indonesia’s Independence Day was published by the @jakpostimages today. The piece looks at how Prabowo’s sovereignty agenda risks turning inward. While Indonesia seeks greater independence from foreign capital and geopolitical dependence, the language of sovereignty can also be used to portray domestic critics as “foreign-serving.” The bigger question is whether stronger state power gives citizens more room to challenge the government, or simply expands the power exercised in their name. by @virdikaa

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2 months ago

Beyond grateful for being loved and loving wholeheartedly.

#VIRdihatiARA #weddinganniversary by @virdikaa

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2 months ago

Di tengah semakin terbukanya peluang global, generasi muda memiliki lebih banyak pilihan untuk menentukan masa depannya. Lantas, apa yang membuat Indonesia tetap layak dipilih?

Melalui tulisannya dalam Harian Kompas Edisi Tematik HUT ke-81 RI: Bukan Tamu di Negeri Ini, Virdika Rizky Utama (@virdikaa), Direktur Eksekutif PARA Syndicate sekaligus mahasiswa doktoral Politik China di Nanyang Technological University, Singapura, mengajak kita merefleksikan kembali hubungan antara negara, warga, dan harapan akan masa depan Indonesia.

Terbit 18 Agustus 2026
Pre-order sekarang melalui komp.as/edisiopini

#OpiniKompas by @virdikaa

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2 months ago

Dari York ke Kuningan. 🧐 by @virdikaa

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3 months ago