UNAIR NEWS – Literary and Cultural Studies Master’s Program (MKSB) Universitas Airlangga held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on Surabaya Batik & Heritage on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at the Siti Parwati Hall, the Faculty of Humanities (FIB), Universitas Airlangga, Dharmawangsa-B Campus.

The Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Prof. Dr. Purnawan Basundoro SS MHum; lecturer of the Literary and Cultural Studies Dra. Nur Wulan MA Ph.D., and M. Sang Rachmad, batik artist of Soerabaia Tempo Doeloe.

Prof. Purnawan shared the first topic of batik philosophy as a medium and cultural heritage conservation. He emphasized that batik is an extraordinary and globally-recognized cultural heritage of Indonesia.

Nur Wulan, the second speaker, further discussed the politicization of cultural heritage. She believed that heritage aims to bring the nation together rather than cause division.

“Heritage, in general, should bring the nation together. It should not create further issues. However, some cases lead to friction. Like the heritage politicization case in Afghanistan where the Taliban destroyed the Buddha statues in Bamiyan ten years ago,” Nur Wulan stated.

In the last session, M. Sang Rachmad provided a more specific discussion about his batik painting ‘Soerabaia Tempo Doeloe’. He explained his interest choosing Surabaya, the City of Heroes in the past, as a theme of his work.

“Why do I choose this theme? First, it links to the destruction of cultural heritage, plus, batik traditions in Surabaya were not so prominent then. It challenges me to create the identity of Surabaya, which is closely related to designing the batik tradition,” Rachmad said.

Besides, the Literary and Cultural Studies Master’s Program also held a National Deliberation of Alumni (MUNAS) every five years. The event is a momentous occasion for the reunion of the Alumni Association (IKA) of MKSB UNAIR, which aims to formulate a work program for the next leadership that will impact and benefit the community.

“The vision and mission of the work program are beneficial for the community, mostly focused on disaster relief efforts in the surrounding areas,” said Nyoman Suwarta, the Executive Chairman of the Anniversary Committee of MKSB UNAIR.

At the end of the event, Prof. Purnawan hoped that the alumni can collaborate together in formulating impactful FIB work programs for the community. “Let’s collaborate in creating work programs that can receive support from alumni,” he ended.

Author: Aidatul Fitriyah

Editor: Binti Q Masruroh