Summary of "Acara Puncak Dies Natalis ke-67 Fakultas Ilmu Budaya Unpad: Orasi Ilmiah Prof. Merlyna Lim"

Summary of the Video

Acara Puncak Dies Natalis ke-67 Fakultas Ilmu Budaya Unpad: Orasi Ilmiah Prof. Merlyna Lim

Main Ideas and Concepts

1. Opening and Commemoration Overview

The event celebrated the 67th anniversary (Dies Natalis) of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB), Universitas Padjajaran (Unpad), held on November 10-11, 2025. The theme was:

“Digital Culture: Celebrating Diversity and Encouraging Innovation.”

Activities included:

Group exercise
Community service
Competitions (room cleaning, sports, blood donation, tumpeng decorating)
Scientific oration
Entertainment
Award ceremonies

Appreciation was expressed to sponsors and university leadership for their support.

2. Dean’s Report and Faculty Achievements (Prof. Akuarini Priatna)

Prof. Akuarini Priatna presented an overview of academic and institutional achievements from 2021 to 2025:

Academic accomplishments:
- 100% completion of OBE RPS (Outcome-Based Education curriculum).
- 10 out of 12 study programs accredited as “superior,” with ongoing international accreditation.
- Introduction of a Master of Literature program enriched with digital culture.
- Plans for a new undergraduate program in Chinese Literature.
Financial growth:
- Language Center revenue increased over 600% from 2021 to 2025.
- Language Center supports faculty facilities and infrastructure.
International recognition:
- English Studies ranked in QS World University top 300 by subject.
Research and publication:
- Increase in research funding and community service projects.
- Challenges remain in increasing quality and quantity of publications.
Internationalization:
- Guest lectures from 20 universities worldwide.
- Active student exchange programs (inbound and outbound).
- Multiple international collaborations.
Human resources:
- 108 lecturers, majority with doctoral degrees.
- Increase in professors and academic staff qualifications.
Student achievements:
- 961 new students in the 2025-2026 academic year.
- Active participation and awards in language olympiads, competitions, and scholarships.
Infrastructure improvements:
- New canteen, library upgrades, classroom renovations.
- Completed media transformation for teaching (classrooms equipped with TVs).
- Revitalization of academic and recreational spaces.
The faculty reaffirmed its commitment to continuous improvement and academic excellence.
Acknowledgment and appreciation were given to retiring faculty and staff.

3. Chancellor’s Speech (Prof. Arif Samsul Kartasita)

Prof. Arif Samsul Kartasita expressed pride in the Faculty of Cultural Sciences as a unique strength of Unpad, emphasizing:

The importance of culture alongside STEM fields.
Vision for the faculty to become a digital humanities center at Unpad.
Encouragement for cultural activities to become a national icon and a source of academic and community pride.
Challenges posed by digitalization and government focus on STEM.
The role of culture as a guiding compass in human development.
Hope for collaborative efforts to elevate Unpad’s academic reputation and impact.

4. Scientific Oration by Prof. Merlyna Lim (Carlton University, Canada)

Title: “Dancing with Algorithms: Rethinking Culture in the Digital Age.”

Key points included:

Culture is dynamic, a “dance” performed through everyday life, increasingly shaped by digital algorithms and platforms.
Algorithms influence what cultural content is visible, shared, or suppressed.
Introduction of the concept of digital affective infrastructure—the emotional architecture of digital platforms that modulate feelings for engagement and monetization.
Human agency persists through vernacular agency—users creatively interacting with algorithmic systems.
Culture and algorithms move together; neither dominates completely.
Examples from politics, youth culture, and digital activism illustrate the interplay of culture, emotion, and digital media.
Cultural studies must expand to analyze:
- Relationality: interaction between humans and technology.
- Temporality: rhythms of cultural virality and regularity.
- Mediation: role of platforms and algorithms as cultural artifacts.
- Affection: circulation of emotions and participation.
Critique of dominant Euro-American-centric digital media theories applied uncritically to Indonesia.
Call for epistemic sovereignty: developing theories from Indonesia’s empirical realities rather than importing frameworks.

Prof. Lim proposed five commitments for advancing Indonesian cultural studies:

Co-theorization: theory emerging from local empirical realities.
Co-aping and co-constitution: mutual shaping of technology and society.
Interdisciplinarity: combining diverse academic methods.
Longitudinality: slow, deep, continuous research.
Epistemic sovereignty: building local knowledge platforms and networks.

She emphasized that cultural studies should embrace the dynamic, rhythmic interplay of humans and algorithms.

Final message: Culture is not static but a living, evolving dance that requires awareness and sensitivity in the digital age.

5. Closing and Additional Activities

Award presentation to Prof. Merlyna Lim.
Prayers led by Dr. Eka Kurnia Firmansyah for the faculty’s continued success and guidance.
Recognition of retired faculty and staff.
Announcement of ongoing activities: tumpeng competition, blood donation, sports, door prizes, and entertainment.

Methodology / Key Instructional Points from Prof. Merlyna Lim’s Oration

To study culture in the digital age, consider four analytical dimensions:

Relationality: Study interactions between humans, technologies, and platforms.
Temporality: Analyze cultural rhythms, viral moments, and ongoing engagement.
Mediation: Understand algorithms and platforms as cultural producers shaping visibility and meaning.
Affection: Focus on emotional circulation and participation within digital culture.

To develop local digital cultural studies:

Avoid treating Indonesia as merely an empirical site for foreign theories.
Develop co-theorization based on local cultural realities.
Embrace interdisciplinarity and long-term research.
Build epistemic sovereignty through local knowledge platforms.

Recognize culture as a dynamic dance between human agency and algorithmic influence, not a passive object.

Speakers and Sources Featured

Prof. Akuarini Priatna – Dean of Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjajaran.
Prof. Arif Samsul Kartasita – Chancellor of Universitas Padjajaran.
Prof. Merlyna Lim – Professor of Digital Media and Global Network Society, Carlton University, Canada; delivered the scientific oration.
Dr. Eka Kurnia Firmansyah – Led the closing prayer.
Other faculty members and university officials mentioned but not speaking at length.

This summary captures the main themes, achievements, challenges, and visionary outlook presented during the 67th anniversary event, highlighting especially Prof. Merlyna Lim’s insightful oration on digital culture and cultural studies in the digital age.