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INA From Research to the Global Stage: Universitas Udayana Brings Balinese Script to the Global Digital Ecosystem
Universitas Udayana is strengthening its contribution to the development of culture-based technology through the participation of its researchers in the ICANN87 Annual General Meeting in Bali. The Tamiang Balinese script keyboard innovation and the development of domain names using Balinese script demonstrate how research conducted at Universitas Udayana can be applied to expand the use of regional scripts in digital life.
ICANN87 took place on October 17–22, 2026, at the Bali International Convention Centre in Nusa Dua, with the Indonesian Internet Domain Name Manager (PANDI) serving as the local host. As the first ICANN public meeting held in Indonesia, the event brought together government representatives, technical communities, academics, businesses, and civil society to discuss developments in global internet infrastructure and governance.
As part of the ICANN87 welcome reception, Bali Governor I Wayan Koster presented the Tamiang Balinese script keyboard to Indonesia’s Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, and ICANN leadership. Developed through research conducted by Universitas Udayana researchers, the keyboard demonstrates how university innovation can support the use of Balinese script through technological devices.
The keyboard was presented to the Minister of Culture on October 19, 2026, at Heritage Beach Garden, The Westin Resort Nusa Dua. The occasion reinforced efforts to preserve Balinese script through digital technology while highlighting the potential of university research to produce innovations that deliver both cultural value and practical benefits to society.
Universitas Udayana has also contributed to the development of domain names using Balinese script within the .id domain ecosystem. This initiative creates opportunities for people to use Balinese script as part of their digital identity and internet addresses, while extending the application of research outcomes through services accessible to the public.
This development is supported by a technical foundation known as Label Generation Rules (LGR), a set of rules that determines which characters and character sequences can be used in domain names. The Balinese script LGR was included in ICANN’s Second-Level Reference Label Generation Rules, published on October 25, 2024. This reference provides a technical foundation for the standardized development of domain names using Balinese script.
Subsequently, the Governor of Bali officially launched the second-level domain using Balinese script on December 11, 2025, at the Ksirarnawa Building, Taman Budaya, Denpasar. Universitas Udayana’s Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) contributed to this initiative through Cokorda Rai Adi Pramartha, Ph.D., who was involved in developing the Balinese script system for internet domain names.
At ICANN87, Cokorda Rai Adi Pramartha brought this experience to the international forum as a speaker in two sessions. On October 19, 2026, he participated in the session “Enabling Multilingual Internet through Universal Acceptance,” presenting “Balinese Script on the Internet: Implementation and Universal Acceptance Roadmap.” His presentation addressed the implementation of Balinese script on the internet and outlined future directions for supporting its use across digital systems.
Universal Acceptance is the principle that valid domain names and email addresses, including those using different languages and scripts, should be accepted and processed correctly by digital applications and services. In the context of Balinese script, this support is essential to making digital identities based on regional scripts more accessible and practical for everyday use.
On October 20, 2026, Cokorda Rai served as a speaker in the session “How It Works: Internationalized Domain Names.” He presented the journey of Balinese script toward becoming usable in internet domain names. This experience may serve as a reference for developing digital support for other scripts in Indonesia.
Universitas Udayana’s participation in this international forum aligns with national efforts to digitize Indonesia’s traditional scripts. During ICANN87, Minister of Culture Fadli Zon emphasized the importance of integrating regional scripts into global digital infrastructure through research, education, technological accessibility, and cross-sector collaboration.
Currently, registration services for domain names using Balinese script are managed through a business unit at Universitas Udayana’s Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and are accessible via bali.domain.id.
Through research, technological development, and domain registration services, Universitas Udayana supports the continued use of Balinese script as a cultural identity in everyday life. Its participation in ICANN87 also expands opportunities for knowledge exchange and collaboration to help build an internet ecosystem that accommodates linguistic and script diversity.
Figure reference: https://www.balipost.com/news/2026/10/21/590756/Serahkan-Keyboard-Aksara-Bali-ke…html
Figure reference: https://www.unud.ac.id/universitas-udayana-mendunia-di-icann87-lestarikan-aksara-bali-lewat-keyboard-tamiang-dan-domain-digital/
Figure reference: https://www.unud.ac.id/universitas-udayana-mendunia-di-icann87-lestarikan-aksara-bali-lewat-keyboard-tamiang-dan-domain-digital/
Universitas Udayana