The upcoming capital city relocation will have an important impact on and contribution towards Indonesian development, especially to reduce the gap between Java and outside Java Island, and to emphasize the spirit of Indonesia in Indonesia's archipelago. The new capital city or Ibu Kota Negara (IKN) is named “Nusantara”, a word representing this archipelago.

Contributing to the preparation for Nusantara in terms of policy design and a political framework, I am grateful that through this important book, our researchers at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) have contributed to the production of academic and professional knowledge on the preparation and development of Indonesia's new capital city. Their contributions will not only enrich government policies but also provide evidence-based research on the establishment of the IKN.

The contributors to the book have successfully discussed the capital city relocation from diverse perspectives and by examining wide-ranging issues. These include the historical and political perspectives on capital relocation, the ecological and socio-economic implications of the relocation, as well as the cultural and identity aspects of the new capital city. The rich, critical, and in-depth knowledge covered by the book delighted me. Through the discussion, we hope that the discussion of the capital city relocation will benefit all, in line with the main purpose of Nusantara—to be a global city for all.

Hopefully, this book will be the first and most-cited scholarly work on the current Indonesian capital city relocation project. I thank all the contributors and editors for their hard work in completing this masterpiece. I believe the readers will find this book engaging in every chapter and that the book will stimulate future discussions and deeper knowledge of Indonesia's capital city relocation.

BRIN's work on the IKN certainly does not stop with the publication of this book. In 2023, one of the signature programmes in the Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities (ISSH), for instance, is on the challenges of the IKN which need to be addressed or dealt with by the Indonesian government.