The 2026 International Conference on Indigenous Knowledge, Systems, Wisdom & Technology (CIKWST) took place from September 3 to September 4, 2026, hosted at the Tsinghua University Southeast Asia Center, Bali, Indonesia. This conference was organized under the leadership of Conference Chair Michael Tuori, Academic Director of Tsinghua Southeast Asia Center. The conference convened international researchers, cultural practitioners, and academic leaders to explore the intersections of indigenous worldviews, cybernetics, and sustainable technologies.
The event commenced on September 3 with an intensive preliminary workshop hosted at the Saraswati Room, Tsinghua Southeast Asia Center. Led by Prof. Angie Abdilla and Matthew Heffernan from the Australian National University (ANU), the session provided an interactive learning environment focusing on decolonial frameworks and technological design prior to the main proceedings.
The main conference proceedings opened on September 4 in the Awan Auditorium with official opening remarks delivered by Michael Tuori alongside Prof. Ir. I Ketut Sudarsana, ST., Ph.D., Rector of Udayana University. The morning program featured consecutive keynote addresses by Hokky Situngkir, Founder of the Bandung Fe Institute, and Prof. Angie Abdilla from the School of Cybernetics at ANU. The academic schedule continued with two plenary panel discussions. The first panel, moderated by David Pledger, brought together speakers Sarah Rosalena, Angie Abdilla, and Matthew Heffernan on “Resisting another Tsunami”. The second panel, moderated by Michael Tuori, featured presentations by Yohanes Surya, Liyana Mahirah, and Hemi Whaanga on “Designing for Sovereignty: Data, Access, and Indigenous Futures in AI”.
The conference later transitioned into two sequential rounds of parallel paper presentation sessions held across three venues: the Awan Auditorium, Cloud Lounge, and Saraswati. Session moderators Prima, Ni Made Praswi Bestari, and Isnu Ayu guided research presentations spanning technology, culture, and sustainable systems.
The conference concluded with closing remarks from Prof. I Nyoman Darma Putra, M.Litt., Ph.D. of the Faculty of Humanities at Udayana University, followed by final remarks from Michael Tuori. The event culminated in a specialized immersive sound bath session led by the Center for Worldview in the Malajah venue