The Implementation of The Three Pledges of Higher Education, UNIVET BANTARA Sukoharjo Hosts An International Webinar on Digital Literacy

Surakarta, 22 December 2020 – In coincidence with the commemoration of Mother’s Day on 22 December 2020, University of Veteran Bangun Nusantara (UNIVET BANTARA) Sukoharjo successfully hosted an international webinar on “Digital Literacy for Research and Public Submission During The Pandemic” virtually through Zoom Meeting. More than 300 participants enthusiastically registered and attended the event.

The agenda was stunningly started by the recitation of one of Emha Ainun Nadjib’s poetries titled Ibunda. Bety Ayu, a PBSI student of UNIVET BANTARA who presented the poetry totally caught the participants’ attention solemnly through her musicalization performance.

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rated by Dewi Kusumaningsih, M. Hum., an active lecturer of Indonesian Language and Literature Department (PBSI) from UNIVET BANTARA together with Putri Maharani, S. Pd., a Graduate student of Linguistics Program from University of Hasanuddin (UNHAS) Makassar who was also the former student UNIVET BANTARA, the first series of the webinar was organized through the collaboration of five institutions. It invited five keynote speakers from three ASEAN countries, including Dr. Nek Mah Batri, Ph. D. from An Nikmah Education Center Singapore, Dr. Suraiya Chapakiya from University of Fatoni Thailand, Dr. Isah Cahyani, M. Pd. from University of Education Indonesia (UPI), Dr. Ika Arifianti, M. Pd. from University of Pekalongan (UNIKAL) Indonesia, and Dr. Mukti Widayati, M. Hum. from University of Veteran Bangun Nusantara (UNIVET BANTARA) Sukoharjo Indonesia.

Respectively representing Singapore and Thailand, Dr. Nek Mah Batri, Ph. D. and Dr. Suraiya Chapakiya shared a number of remarkable best practices from the governments of Singapore and Thailand in dealing with the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the education sector policies. They also highlighted several safety measures on the emphasis on the pandemic management strategies, in which the discussion was also expanded to the religious context.

Similar insights were also presented by Dr. Isah Cahyani, M. Pd., as the keynote speaker from UPI. Highlighting the efforts of Indonesian government in maintaining the sustainability of education sector, she mentioned the relation of connectivism, constructivism, and cognitivism in the design of distant learning, which is now the trend due to the current situation.

The discussion obtained more and more attention from the participants, as Dr. Ika Arifianti, M. Pd. that represented UNIKAL led the forum to the implementation of language analysis in the legal context. With regards to her highlights, Forensic Linguistics, as part of the Applied Linguistics is believed to offer a remarkable function in the expansion of language use during the justice process.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mukti Widayati, M. Hum. emphasized the discussion on the urgency of digital literacy to sustain continuous teaching and learning process. During her discussion, she pointed at the effectiveness of the technology utilization in sustaining the education ecosystem.

As part of the implementation of the Three Pledges of Higher Education, the international webinar event will later be followed up by the other two virtual series, including the workshop on “Research and Article Publication Through The Utilization of Mendeley Reference Manager” which will be hosted by UNIKAL and the webinar on “Digital Literacy-Based Public Submission During The COVID-19 Pandemic” by UPI. (Putri Maharani)