Semiarto Aji Purwanto is a Professor of Anthropology at Universitas Indonesia and currently serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP UI) for the 2021–2025 term. Since the early stages of his academic career, he has maintained a strong focus on issues of tradition, cultural heritage, ethnicity, the environment, and social forestry.
His work in both research and teaching spans rural ethnography, development anthropology, urban anthropology, and cultural policy. He actively promotes interdisciplinary collaborative research that not only strengthens the tradition of anthropology in Indonesia but also positions FISIP UI as a leading, inclusive, and entrepreneurship-oriented institution.
Drawing on his extensive experience, Prof. Aji seeks to bridge academic knowledge with public policy practice, particularly in the management of cultural heritage and community-based environmental governance. He is also frequently involved as a facilitator in community-based management planning programs and has participated in various international projects addressing the intersections of culture, ecology, and sustainable development.
