SEMARANG – Indonesian Literature Study Program is a milestone in the establishment of Faculty of Humanities (Fakultas Ilmu Budaya) at Diponegoro University (UNDIP). Before becoming an Indonesian Literature Study Program, it was originally named Department of Indonesiologi and became the first Study Program at Faculty of Literature and Culture Undip which was founded in 1965.
Department of Indonesiologi, which was born at the same time as the establishment of Faculty of Literature and Culture Undip, is the result of the Establishment Team chaired by Prof. Soenario, S.H. The team members consist of several figures including the writer of the first Indonesian Dictionary, WJS Poerwadarminta; Prof. A Sigit; Slamet Rahardjo, M.A.; Rais; Soemadi Soemowidagdo; Soerono Tjitrosantjoko; Tan Wei Lie; Marsono; Fadjar. Those figures started to work until the establishment of Faculty of Literature and Culture Undip on September 1st 1965. The basis for its establishment was the PTIP Ministerial Decree No. 173/1965 dated on August 21st 1965 with one study program: Indonesiologi.
The term “Indonesiologi” is used to affirm the scientific field studies about everything of Indonesia, from its language, literature, and culture. This is in accordance with the intention of establishing Department of Indonesiologi, which is expected to produce scholars who can research and broaden their horizons about Indonesian literature, language, history, and culture so that they can introduce them to the international world.
Efforts to establish a study program as well as a faculty actually started in early 1965, with the issuance of UNDIP Rector’s Decree No. 626/Sp/Adm/BUP/1965 dated on January 25th 1965 concerning Establishment of the Committee for the Establishment of Faculty of Literature. One of the points in the preamble to the decree states “Central Java is an area rich in historical, cultural, and Indonesian literary resources.” Prof. Soenario, S.H. who became Chairman of Establishment Team, became the first Dean of Faculty of Literature and Culture Undip.
Head of Indonesian Literature Undergraduate Study Program of Faculty of Humanities Undip, Dr. Muh Abdullah, M.Hum., said that the use of Indonesian nomenclature is part of the passionate spirit of nationalism from its founders. “There are big aspirations so that knowledge of Indonesian becomes a separate science,” Abdullah said, on Monday (8/3/2021). Since they had to adjust to existing regulations, before the 80s the name of Indonesian Department was changed to Indonesian Literature at the same time as the name of the Anglo Saxon Department to become the Department of English Literature.
The Indonesian Literature Study Program was re-inaugurated by the Director General of Higher Education on July 11th 1996 through Decree No. 220/Dikti/Kep/96. As one of the study programs that was born at the beginning of Undip’s establishment, Indonesian Literature should be proud of its reputation. Based on the accreditation certificate issued by National Accreditation Board for Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia No. 773/SK/BAN-PT/Akred/S/VII/2015, Indonesian Language and Literature Undergraduate Study Program of Diponegoro University was accredited with an A or Excellent rating.
The vision that Undip Indonesian Literature Study Program wants to achieve is to become a center for education, study, research, service, and development of language, literature, philology, and leading coastal culture in 2025.
Meanwhile, one of the mandated missions is to produce graduates who are professional and have the ability as well as skills in the fields of language, literature, and Nusantara culture, especially coastal culture. “We have carried out all of the developments based on local wisdom,” said Abdullah.
