Diaspora Diplomacy by IISMA Awardees in the UK in 2021-2023

Abstract

Globalization has broadened the diplomatic arena to include non-state actors, with diaspora being one of them. International students, as an educational diaspora, posses a unique potential as diplomatic agents, especially those intentionally formed and sent by the state, such as the awardees of the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA). This research aims to who are these awardees of IISMA and their effort to run for diplomacy, also to describe how the IISMA’s awardees fulfill the diaspora diplomacy in the UK during the 2021-2023 period. This research is conducted under the qualitative approach using the methods of digital content analysis (netnography) and using a combined method of digital content analysis (netnography) and in-depth interviews with awardee representatives.. The analysis is framed by the concpetual framework of Alina Dolea (2024), which views diaspora diplomacy as an “assemblage” mediated by emotions through four pillars: Identity and emotional ties, The role of digital media, Diaspora as a category of practice, Emotion as mediator. The findings indicate that IISMA awardees practice diaspora diplomacy through two channels: a formal channel via mandatory IISMA Challenges focusing on cultural promotion, and an informal channel through daily academic and social interactions. Digital media serves a vital role as a space for activity mobilization and identity negotiation as connected migrants. A crucial finding of this research is that these diplomatic practices are not solely driven by state mandates but are strongly mediated by the awardees' personal emotions, such as pride, a moral sense of obligation toward the state, and a genuine desire to improve Indonesia's image abroad.