We are excited to welcome Amalia Andini as a PhD candidate at the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for BOLD Cities. Amalia’s research will youth political participation and governance in rapidly urbanising areas, with a particular focus on Greater Malang, Indonesia.
Amalia’s PhD project, supervised by the Centre’s academic director, professor Liesbet van Zoonen, investigates how young people engage with governance and navigate their citizenship in the context of urban development and digitalisation. By examining intersections of class, gender, and ethnicity, her work sheds light on the nuanced realities of youth participation in smart city initiatives.
Greater Malang, a rapidly growing urban area driven by booming tourism and higher education institutions, provides a dynamic case study. As part of Indonesia’s 100 Smart Cities Movement, Malang has embraced digital and technocratic urban development, making it an ideal setting to explore how digital tools and smart-tourism concepts influence youth engagement in governance.
Amalia’s work aligns closely with the Centre’s focus on contestability, governance, and citizen participation in data-driven urban environments. Her insights into the role of digital technologies in shaping civic life and governance resonate strongly with the Centre’s mission of creating inclusive and transparent smart cities.
About Amalia
Amalia holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from Ritsumeikan University, where she was a MEXT Scholarship recipient. Her academic interests include transnational cultural studies, media, and youth participation. During her studies, Amalia honed her expertise in interdisciplinary research, presenting her work at international conferences such as INUSHARTS and the Cultural Typhoon Conference. As a PhD candidate, Amalia will contribute to the Centre’s efforts to understand how digitalisation and governance intersect with urban realities. We are happy to support her research and look forward to the insights she will bring to our community.
Welcome to the Centre for BOLD Cities, Amalia!