WikiDiplomasi Project: Improving Digital Literacy and Citizen Diplomacy Skills in Indonesian Universities Kanyadibya Cendana Prasetyo(a*), Wishnu Mahendra Wiswayana(a), Rhani Lilianti Kata(b), Fariz Oktavian Rosu(a), Almasiva Tirta Maedy(a), Yohanes Melanthon Hasudungan Tambunan(a)
a) Department of International Relations, Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia
*e-mail: kanya.prasetyo[at]ub.ac.id (corresponding author)
b) Independent researcher, Malang, Indonesia
Abstract
Wikipedia is touted as ^the last good place^ on internet due to its open-access nature, widespread popularity and increased reliability over time. It is one of the most visited websites of all time with global readership reaching 16 billion views per month. Considering Wikipedia^s huge influence on digital discourse and knowledge diffusion, we utilize the platform to enhance digital literacy and citizen diplomacy skills for university students and lecturers. The WikiDiplomasi project is an initiative developed by KlubWiki Universitas Brawijaya to improve the quantity and quality of content related to diplomacy and international relations (IR) on the Indonesian Wikipedia. Implemented from February to May 2025 with funding support from the Wikimedia Foundation, the project involved six universities and six Wikimedia communities in Indonesia. The project had successfully trained 207 participants and 133 new editors, created 104 new articles, and improved 239 existing articles, and contributed to more than 383,000 bytes of Wikipedia edits. The project also demonstrated that a collaborative approach between higher education and the Wikimedia communities is effective in improving access to open knowledge and creating new digital contents. Nonetheless, the project faced key challenges, namely engaging with new participants and managing a complex and demanding project. In the future, WikiDiplomasi has the potential to be expanded to more universities and integrated with national and global Wikimedia movement.
Keywords: citizen diplomacy, digital literacy, open science, Wikipedia, Wikimedia movement
Topic: Digital Communication for Inclusive Societies
