Media is the Founder and Director of Public Policy at the Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS), a leading Indonesian think tank dedicated to advancing research on fiscal policy, energy transition, and sustainable economic governance. He is also a Lecturer at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), where he teaches at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels. His teaching covers econometrics, quantitative methods, big data, and data analytics, emphasizing the integration of theory and real-world application in social and economic research.

Previously, Media served at Oxfam International, where he worked as Regional Manager for Influencing Just Energy Transition in Asia and Fiscal Justice Program Manager. In these roles, he led advocacy, and policy initiatives to accelerate the shift toward renewable energy and also spearheaded fiscal justice research and campaigns across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. His work included advancing the development and application of Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Tools, enabling governments and civil society to assess and improve the equity impact of fiscal policies.

He is also actively engaged in the United Nations (UN) Financing for Development (FfD) process, where he examines the role of public–private interactions in development finance and advocates for fair and progressive tax policies to reduce dependence on debt, curb inequality, and prevent economic crises. He has collaborated with international and national institutions, among others, the University of Notre Dame, Women’s World Banking, The University of Manchester, Asian Development Bank, DFAT, Government Ministers, and the House of Regional Representatives (DPD RI) of Indonesia, where he served as Special Advisor. Earlier in his career, he worked with PT Astra International Tbk (UT-MPU), a subsidiary operating in the mining sector, as a Corporate Social Responsibility staff, developing programs for community development, and environmental sustainability.

Media has authored and co-authored numerous journal articles and policy papers on economics, fiscal policy, inequality, and data analytics. His journal publication, Financial Literacy and Poverty Reduction (2020), The Role of Financial Access (2024), The Impact of Conditional Cash Transfers (2022), Strategies and Resilience of Firms Facing Competition from the Informal Sector (2025), Informing Decision Makers (2025), Measuring the Gig Economy in Indonesia (2023), Agricultural Transformation (2015), and Foreign Aid and Economic Development (2015), highlight the roles of financial development, innovation, and governance in driving inclusive growth. Complementing his academic work, Askar’s policy papers, including Indonesia Inequality Report 2024, Budget Cuts for Fiscal Justice and Public Welfare (2025), Low Wages, High Hopes: Inside Indonesia’s Fashion Supply Chains (2025), Who Gets Hungry? Who Gets Full? (2025), Kopdes Merah Putih (2025), and The New Economic Paradigm (2024), promote fiscal transparency and equitable reform. Other publications, such as Vanishing Forests and Rising Emissions (2024), Reaching Rural Women (2024), and Building Digital Finance Solutions for Women E-Commerce Entrepreneurs (2023), focus on environmental governance and financial inclusion.

In addition to his academic and policy work, Media Wahyudi Askar is a regular commentator on national television, as an economic and public policy analyst on, among others, Kompas TV, Metro TV, TV One, CNN Indonesia, TVRI, SEA Today News.

Prior to joining Universitas Gadjah Mada, Media completed both his Master’s and Doctoral studies at The University of Manchester, United Kingdom. His master’s research focused on financial inclusion and inequality, while his doctoral thesis explored Financial Development and its implications for emerging economies. During his time in the UK, he also served as President of the Indonesian Students Association in the United Kingdom (PPI UK). He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Management (UGM), where his undergraduate thesis examined the topic of Economic Protectionism.

A native of Minangkabau, Media shares his life with Kharisma Utari, an epidemiologist and public health enthutiasm, a childhood friend from the same village in Batusangkar.