Inauguration and Scientific Oration of Professors of Fikom Unpad Prof. Dr. Susanne Dida, MM; Prof. Dr. Suwandi Sumartias, M.Si.; and Prof. Dr. Dian Wardiana Sjuchro, M.Si.
Three new professors of the Faculty of Communication Sciences were inaugurated in the Inauguration Ceremony and Scientific Oration of Professor Position held at Graha Sanusi Hardjadinata Unpad Iwa Koesoemasoemantri Campus, Bandung, on Wednesday, January 24, 2024.
The inauguration ceremony was opened by the Rector of Unpad Prof. Dr. Rina Indiastuti, S.E., M.SIE and led by the Chairman of the Board of Professors of Unpad Prof. Arief Anshory Yusuf, M.Sc., PhD. The three new professors of Fikom who underwent the inauguration procession were Prof. Dr. Susanne Dida, MM, in the field of Communication Science; Prof. Dr. Suwandi Sumartias, M.Si., in the field of Political Communication Science; and Prof. Dr. Dian Wardiana Sjuchro, M.Si., in the field of Communication Science.
Prof. Dr. Susanne Dida, MM. delivered a scientific oration in the Inaugural Ceremony and Scientific Oration of the fourth session with the title “Alpha Generation Mental Resilience Through Health Communication with Storytelling Narratives.” She came up with a special health protocol for the alpha generation using a storytelling approach in the comic “The Adventures of Jojo Anak Jatinangor, Healthy and Cheerful during the Pandemic.” Highlighting the mental stress of children during the Covid-19 pandemic, he emphasized the importance of communication approaches and cross-disciplinary collaboration, digital technology support, and supervision from various parties, including parents, teachers, and the community.
Furthermore, Prof. Dr. Suwandi Sumartias, M.Si. delivered a scientific oration entitled “Understanding and Interpreting Democracy, An Analysis of the Dynamics of Political Communication in the Digital Era.” He highlighted that in the digital era, social norms, laws, democracy, ethics and morality can be adjusted to the whims of the authorities. Freedom of expression on social media, while useful, is often exploited by politicians for negative propaganda and the creation of hateful narratives. He emphasized the need to exercise the rule of law, ethical awareness, and moral responsibility of power in every aspect of the bureaucracy and the state’s relationship with citizens. Supervision of social media content and legal sanctions for violators are also considered important.
Prof. Dr. Dian Wardiana Sjuchro, M.Si. delivered the final scientific oration entitled “Sandyakala Ning Community Radio in Indonesia.” In his speech, he revealed that community radio in Indonesia is in decline due to a lack of government support, community appreciation, human resources, and funding for development. He recommended strategies such as utilizing social media, expanding radio frequencies, and training to improve human resources to avoid a decline in the number and quality of community radio.
The Inauguration Ceremony and Scientific Oration of Professor Position of Padjadjaran University ended with a prayer and delivery of impressions and messages. The hope is that the coronation of these new professors can contribute to progress in all fields of science, especially in communication science. The inauguration procession can be watched again through the official YouTube channel of Universitas Padjadjaran. (TDF/DM)
