Welcoming the 63rd Anniversary of Fikom Unpad, Fikom Unpad and the Center for Communication, Media and Culture Studies Hold a Public Discussion “Dynamics of Communication Science in Indonesia”
The Faculty of Communication in collaboration with the Center for Communication, Media and Culture Studies held a scientific discussion on “the dynamics of Communication Science in Indonesia” in order to welcome the 63rd Anniversary of Fikom Unpad. This event was held via zoom and live on Fikom Unpad Official YouTube on Tuesday, August 29, 2023. The discussion was moderated by one of the Communication Science study program lecturers, Preciosa Alnashava Janitra, M.I.Kom by featuring three expert speakers in the field of communication science, each presenting views on various aspects of communication science in Indonesia. The event was opened with remarks from the Chairman of the 63rd Anniversary of Fikom Unpad, Dr. Uud Wahyudin. He expressed his hope that this discussion could contribute to the development of Communication Science in the future.
Holy Rafika Dhona, a lecturer at Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII), opened the discussion by discussing the materialist approach in Indonesian communication studies. He underlined the importance of understanding the role of matter, economics and politics in the context of communication. This approach allows us to go deeper in analyzing how media, technology and information play a role in Indonesian society. Holy outlines that a better understanding of material factors can help us address issues such as media inequality and restricted access to information. According to him, the emergence of new fields such as health communication, tourism communication, disaster communication or other concepts such as ‘Islamic communication’, or ‘heart communication’, does not produce new ideas. Communication studies still faithfully stick to the same approach, the same concepts.
Dr. Gilang Desti Parahita, an Assistant Professor at the Department of Communication Science, discussed the communication challenges faced in the context of sustainable development in Indonesia. He highlighted the important role of communication in promoting awareness of pressing environmental and social issues. Gilang also emphasized how technology and social media affect the way we communicate about these issues. In an era where information is easily spread, awareness and collective action are key to achieving sustainable development in Indonesia.
Justito Adiprasetia, a lecturer at Fikom Unpad, proposed an interesting view by referring to the concept of “we have never been modern.” He discussed how this concept affects our understanding of modernity and technology in Indonesia. Tito emphasized that we need to reflect on the relationship between tradition and modernity in the context of communication in Indonesia. In an increasingly connected and complex world, an understanding of how technology interacts with local culture is important to achieve a deeper understanding of communication dynamics.
The public discussion was closed with a question and answer session and closing statements by the speakers on the dynamics of communication topics in Indonesia. The discussion provided interesting insights into various aspects of communication science in Indonesia. The speakers highlighted how social, economic and technological changes affect the way we communicate and understand the world around us. The discussion reminded us of the importance of continuously reflecting and reviewing developments in communication science, especially in the dynamic Indonesian context. (JJC/DM)
