The Faculty of Humanities at Diponegoro University has once again organized an international conference titled the International Conference on Culture and Sustainable Development (ICOCAS). This conference was held in a hybrid format at Noormans Hotel Semarang on August 6-7, 2024. ICOCAS 2024 focused on issues related to humanity and the SDGs, with presentations by keynote speakers and other presenters.
The keynote speakers at the second ICOCAS of the Faculty of Humanities included Prof. L. Ayu Saraswati (University of Hawaiʻi), who focused on the connections between skin color, beauty standards, and race. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ismail Fajrie Alatas (New York University) highlighted the purpose of the humanities in learning to become better human beings. Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Mohamad Maulana Magiman (Universiti Putra Malaysia) emphasized the challenges in preserving ethnic rituals and symbols; Dr. Chern Li Liew (Victoria University of Wellington) discussed managing documented heritage through the ethics of care; and Dr. Angela Zottola (University of Turin) explored discursive approaches to gender and sexuality identities, including representation, inclusivity, and activism. Arido Laksono, S.S., M.Hum moderated the Plenary Session.
The Plenary Session was attended by around 200 participants from various countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Italy, and the United States, in a hybrid format. The issues related to humanity and the SDGs were then further discussed in Parallel Sessions by around 115 presenters grouped by topic similarities. The topics discussed in the Parallel Sessions included Language; Cultural Comparison and Diversity; Cultural Environment; Belief Systems, Rituals, and Society; Gender; Media and Technology; Cultural Tourism and Creative Economy; Culture and Tradition; Society, Communication, and Literacy; Popular Literature and Cultural Products; Identity, Politics, and Society; and Psychosocial and Emotions. The papers presented will be published in ISBN proceedings and journals indexed by the Web of Science (WoS).
In his report, the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Prof. Dr. Alamsyah, M.Hum., stated that ICOCAS is a follow-up to research conducted by the faculty members. Regarding student involvement, Prof. Alamsyah emphasized the importance of giving students opportunities to present on the international stage. The new Dean of the Faculty of Humanities hopes that ICOCAS will help improve the quality of scientific publications by faculty members.
The Vice Rector IV, Wijayanto, S.IP., M.Si., Ph.D, opened the ICOCAS event. In his remarks, Wijayanto reaffirmed his commitment to the success of ICOCAS 2024, stating that it brought up interesting topics that contribute to contemporary and future humanitarian issues. The newly appointed Vice Rector IV of UNDIP in 2024 added that ICOCAS plays a significant role in UNDIP’s efforts to enhance research and publications. The second international conference by the Faculty of Humanities concluded with a group photo of the committee, presenters, moderators, and participants. (Fajrul)
