[Unpad.ac.id, 22/08/2013] Unpad Rector, Prof. Ganjar Kurnia gave a public lecture before new students of the Faculty of Arts (FIB) at the faculty’s Senate Open Session on Thursday (22/08) at the Center of Japanese Culture, FIB Jatinangor.
The lecture, titled “Internationalizing Sundanese Culture”, engaged new students of FIB to rerecognize the existence of indigenous culture, one of which was Sundanese. Referring to the classic interpretation of culture, he particularly addressed the use of traditional language. In West Java nowadays, he said, parents had rarely used Sundanese language to their children which was predicted to lead to the extinction of the language in the next 50-100 years. Language also reflected cultural values and thought of the community. In Sundanese case, the distinctive figure of friendly and smiling attitude of the community was slowly fading.
To prevent such condition, he suggested internationalizing the notions in the culture, such as arts, folklores, and traditions, and one of the ways to promote them is by translating them into a number of foreign languages to be publicized.
The many ways of internationalization of culture should start from the initiation from the community to preserve the indigenous culture.
At the same time, the Head of Financial Watch Institution (BPK) of Republic of Indonesia Drs. Hadi Poernomo, Ak., also gave public lecture before new students of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) Unpad by presenting the Institution’s profile as a presidential-level organization to watch the country’s financial condition. BPK, he said, had 3 fundamental values: independence, integrity, and professionalism, played an active role in eradicating corruption, collusion, and nepotism. To prevent them, Poernomo suggested the students to monitor themselves by following the regulations, and consistently avoid any practice of corruption.
These public lectures of new students were organized in almost all the faculties in Unpad on the first day of Student Orientation in the faculty. Some speakers were prominent figures of particular field, and some others were the alumni sharing their experiences and motivations to the new students.
