Dr. Ashley E. Nickels was a 2024 Fulbright Specialist at the Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII), working with the Faculty of Social Sciences (FOSS).
Dr. Sirojuddin Arif and Dr. Ashley Nickels discussing academic publishing at the AICIS conference, October 2025
A collaborative project to strengthen graduate education, carried out by Dr. Ashley Nickels, associate professor in the School of Peace and Conflict Studies at Kent State University, US, and the Faculty of Social Sciences (FOSS) at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia, has fostered stronger alignment across degree programs at UIII.
From October 27 to December 3, 2025, Dr. Nickels served as a Fulbright Specialist at UIII. The project focused on strengthening graduate education through curriculum review and the development of faculty and students. The experience highlighted the intellectual vibrancy of UIII and underscored the value of international collaboration in advancing academic excellence and creating a globally connected learning environment.
The primary objective of the Specialist project was to support FOSS as it refined its academic programs, particularly the MA and PhD in political science and the master of public policy in climate change.
“I worked closely with faculty and students, conducting the curriculum review and facilitating conversations on program identity and long-term direction,” Dr. Nickels said.
She also leads capacity-building workshops on a range of topics, including mixed-methods research design, grant writing, academic publishing, and public scholarship. These workshops brought together students from diverse backgrounds who were eager to develop the methodological and professional skills needed for global scholarly engagement.
Dr. Ashley Nickels is discussing the graduate programs with members of FOSS.
Several meaningful outcomes emerged from this collaboration. First, the curriculum review process fostered stronger alignment across degree programs, opening a sustained dialogue about program distinctiveness, interdisciplinary strengths, and future growth. Second, the short course in Mixed Methods Research provided MA and PhD students with tools to confidently design rigorous research projects, synthesize qualitative and quantitative evidence, and communicate findings to academic and policymaking audiences.
Dr. Ashley E. Nickels with students in the Mixed Methods Research short-course, December 2025.
Third, the project also included a series of professional development workshops tailored to the needs and interests of both students and faculty. These sessions addressed multiple dimensions of academic and public-facing scholarship, including podcasting as a vehicle for public engagement, strategies for competitive grant writing, navigating academic publishing, managing a journal in the era of AI, and pedagogical approaches to teaching in a time of rapid technological change.
Although the project formally concluded in December 2025, the relationships formed during the visit laid the foundation for future connections.
“I would welcome the chance to support UIII again in the future and remain deeply invested in the success of its students and faculty,” Dr. Nickels stated.
She further said that serving as a Fulbright Specialist deepened her appreciation for the transformative work underway at UIII. She was inspired by the intellectual curiosity of the students and the dedication of the faculty. She left Indonesia not only with a renewed sense of academic purpose, but with lasting professional relationships and a deep respect for the UIII community.
