Dirgayuza Setiawan

Dirgayuza Setiawan (Yuza) (born 15 May 1989) is an Indonesian policy advisor and civil servant who has served as Special Assistant to the President of Indonesia for Communications and Policy Analysis since 8 October 2025. His appointment followed more than a decade of involvement in public policy research, government advisory roles, and work in state-owned enterprises.

Early life and education

Setiawan was born in Jakarta and studied Political Science and Media Communications at the University of Melbourne. In 2015, he completed a master's degree in Social Science of the Internet at the University of Oxford under a Jardine Foundation scholarship.

Career

Early career

During his studies in Australia, Setiawan contributed to ABC Radio Australia and BBC Indonesia, and produced a student documentary series profiling Indonesian researchers in Australia.

After returning to Indonesia, he briefly worked as an assistant to Telmo Languiller, a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, during an internship program supported by the University of Melbourne.

Political advisory work

Setiawan later became involved with the Gerindra Party, assisting chairman Prabowo Subianto on data preparation and policy materials. He contributed to several national and local election campaigns, including the 2012 Jakarta gubernatorial election, the 2013 Bandung mayoral election, and the 2014 Indonesian presidential election.

He was part of the team that helped draft Gerindra's "Six Action Programs," a policy platform introduced in 2013 and covered by national media for its emphasis on rural development and food security.

Consulting and government service

In 2017, Setiawan joined McKinsey & Company, where he worked on projects related to public-sector transformation and state-owned enterprises. He took leave in 2019 to assist Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno during the presidential debates, serving on the debate preparation and speech-writing team.

From 2020 to 2021, Setiawan served as an advisor at the Ministry of Defense and later at the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, contributing to policy preparation including the development of the Quota-Based Fishing program.

In 2023, he was appointed Director of Business Development and Control at ID FOOD, the Indonesian state-owned food-holding company.

Special Assistant to the President

On 8 October 2025, Setiawan was appointed Special Assistant to the President of Indonesia for Communications and Policy Analysis under Presidential Decree No. 33/M of 2025. According to the Ministry of State Secretariat, his responsibilities include policy review, preparing briefing documents, and contributing to presidential speeches.

Publications

Setiawan has authored or edited several books on technology, public policy, and political communication. His works include:

• Nilai-Nilai Pendekar Pejuang (2014)
• Paradoks Indonesia (editor)
• Indonesia Menang (editor)
• The Nation's Transformation Strategy (editor)

He also wrote 100 IDeaS for the Next President and Parliament (2023), a policy compilation released digitally.

Awards

• Faculty of Arts Alumni Award, University of Melbourne (2019)
• Indonesian delegate to the Y8 Summit, London (2013)