Social and Cultural Innovation Research Cluster (SoCI) is a research cluster under the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Universitas Indonesia (FIA UI), chaired by Prof. Dr. Dra. Retno Kusumastuti, M.Si. The cluster focuses on advancing knowledge and practice in the field of social and cultural innovation. Social and Cultural Innovation is inherently multi-faceted, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral. Social innovation can emerge across all sectors—public, private, and nonprofit—and often, the most creative initiatives occur at the boundaries between these sectors.

For instance, between civil society and the private sector, there exists the concept of social enterprises, which combine business logic and models with social objectives and distinct ownership structures. In the spectrum between the private and public sectors, public-private partnerships (PPP) represent hybrid organizations that offer new models for service and welfare delivery. On the state–civil society axis, “shadow states” emerge—where civil society organizations act as substitutes for the state, providing welfare in the face of public sector failure. Examples include BRAC and the Grameen network in Bangladesh, which deliver education, healthcare, employment, and financial services.

SoCI seeks to address the multidisciplinary challenges of the 21st century by integrating social, cultural, and governance dimensions in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Its studies focus on social value transformation, social change, and the dynamics of relationships between actors within organizations and communities. Beyond producing high-quality research, the cluster also contributes to education, teaching, and community engagement through active collaboration with national and international partners.

Cluster members consist of faculty with expertise in social innovation, knowledge management, organizational change, business strategy, and social marketing. With a vision to become a center of excellence for social and cultural innovation research in Indonesia, SoCI continues to strengthen its academic capacity and foster impactful interdisciplinary research collaborations for the benefit of society.

Cluster Chair: Prof. Dr. Dra. Retno Kusumastuti Hardjono, M.Si.