Semarang, October 9, 2025 — The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) at Universitas Diponegoro held an international seminar titled “Meet the Editor: Tips and Tricks for Publishing in Scholarly Journals,” featuring Dr. Henrietta McNeill-Stowers. Dr. McNeill-Stowers is an Adjunct Professor at FISIP Undip and is also affiliated with the Australian National University (ANU).

The event, which took place on Thursday, October 9, 2025, in the FISIP Undip Senate Meeting Room, was attended by lecturers and researchers from various departments. This initiative aimed to strengthen the academic capacity of the FISIP Undip academic community in publishing within internationally reputable journals through direct guidance from an experienced international journal editor.

During the interactive session, Dr. McNeill-Stowers not only shared practical strategies for writing and submitting scholarly articles but also provided a unique perspective from an editor’s viewpoint. She elaborated on how editors assess manuscripts, the key criteria determining a manuscript’s acceptance or rejection, and common pitfalls authors frequently encounter.

“As editors, we look for papers that are not only methodologically sound but also address broader conceptual issues and contribute to global academic discourse,” explained Dr. McNeill-Stowers. “Writing for an international journal means understanding the academic audience and demonstrating why our research matters on a global scale.”

Dr. McNeill-Stowers currently serves as an Editor for The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs and Policy Studies — the United Kingdom’s oldest journal in the field of international relations, established in 1910. This journal is a leading platform for analysis and policy discussions on Commonwealth affairs and the role of its member states in contemporary international relations. The Round Table publishes interdisciplinary research spanning politics, international relations, economics, history, identity and values, environmental policy, law, as well as education and health policy.

As a prestigious international journal, indexed by Scopus (Q2) with a CiteScore of 1.5 (2024) and over 116,000 readers annually, The Round Table emphasizes a rigorous double-blind peer-review process to uphold the academic quality of its publications. Dr. McNeill-Stowers’ editorial experience with this journal provided participants with direct insights into the dynamics of manuscript selection and evaluation at a global level.

The Dean of FISIP Undip, Dr. Teguh Yuwono, expressed his appreciation for the event. He stated that such seminars are a vital part of FISIP Undip’s efforts to build a sustainable ecosystem for international research and publication.

“Dr. McNeill-Stowers’ presence provided a valuable opportunity for FISIP lecturers to learn directly from the experience of an international journal editor. This reinforces our commitment to breaking into high-impact publications and enhancing our academic competitiveness,” he said.

Dr. Henrietta McNeill-Stowers is widely recognized for her expertise in Pacific regional security, geopolitics and regionalism, and the security-migration nexus. In addition to her active research, she is a co-investigator for a Department of Defence Strategic Policy Grant (Australia) and serves as an editor and reviewer for several international scholarly journals.

Through this event, FISIP Undip reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the faculty’s internationalization, expanding its global academic network, and fostering a robust publication culture among its lecturers and researchers. The seminar was free and open to all Undip lecturers, demonstrating FISIP’s support for developing capacity in high-quality international research and publication.