Yogyakarta (24/9) – The Graduate School of Gadjah Mada University held a Scientific Oration entitled Social, Cultural and Technological Transformation in the Digital Age. This activity is the highlight of the series of the 36th Anniversary of the UGM Graduate School. Prof. Dr. Irwan Abdullah, Director of the UGM Graduate School for the period 2005-2009, conveyed the phenomenon of denial of cultural diversity in Indonesia as a frame for the big theme of the scientific oration. Located on the 5th floor of the Gadjah Mada University Postgraduate building, lecturers, staff, employees and student representatives sit together, reflect on trips and meet expectations. Before the Oration began, this event was opened by the Dean of the Postgraduate School, Prof. Ir. Siti Malkamah, M.Sc., Ph.D. He opened this activity by describing the journey of the Postgraduate School, complete with a variety of excellent programs.
Prof. Dr. Irwan Abdullah sparked his speech with his anxiety about home diversity, ethnic and cultural diversity in Indonesia which began to lose its space for expression. He set a condition about the biases of multiculturalism. On the one hand it appears to accommodate diversity, but on the other hand it shows the arrogance of each identity. Seeing the denial of cultural diversity in Indonesia in social, cultural and technological transformation in the digital era, Prof. Dr. Irwan Abdullah offered several interesting ideas, including Cultural Diversity (between culture and structure), the phenomenon of religion that destroys diversity, politics that ignores diversity, and threats to diversity and humanity. As part of pursuing good practice in this phenomenon, he offers an idea of “‹”‹the importance of changing logocentrism's way of thinking.
“Transformation in technology through the characteristics of openness and speed is not strong enough to break the logocentrism culture that has been structured into the existing subconscious and social institutions. Instead of giving birth to a more open society, what has happened is that ideological forces have structured the democratic space and acted as a manipulative space representing more oppressive ideological interests, “he said ending the oration. (SPs / Eni)