FIB Unhas — Academic voices from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) Universitas Hasanuddin have contributed to national and international literary discourse. A number of lecturers from the Indonesian Literature Department at FIB Unhas actively participated as presenters in the 34th International Literary Conference (KIK) held by the Association of Indonesian Literary Scholars (HISKI).
This prestigious scientific forum was held at the Graha Wiyata Hall, Center for Quality Assurance in Education (BBPMP) of East Java, Surabaya, for two days, Friday–Saturday (10–11/10/2025).
The FIB Unhas delegation included Prof. AB Takko, Prof. Asriani Abbas, Prof. Nurhayati, St. Nursaadah, Indarwati, Faisal Oddang, and Inriati Lewa. Unlike previous years, this year’s participation marked a full contribution from the department.
“This year, all Unhas Indonesian Literature lecturers who attended served as speakers or presenters,” said the Secretary of the Unhas Indonesian Literature Department, Indarwati, who was present at the location.
The 34th KIK carried the main theme “Literature and Social Activism.” This theme was chosen to highlight how literary works respond to and engage with crucial issues such as humanity, the environment, equality, and adaptation to digital technology.
The General Chair of HISKI, Prof Novi Anoegrajekti, emphasized in her remarks that the conference was not just an academic event, but a form of moral responsibility. “Literature today moves within the space of activism… as a reflection of a world that is constantly changing,” she said.
As one of the presenters, Indarwati presented a paper titled “Reading Signs, Preserving Traditions: Semiotic Exploration and Cultural Tourism in the Jeknek Sappara Ritual.”
Her research examined the symbolic meaning of the ritual in Balangloe Village, Jeneponto, using Chandler’s and Geertz’s semiotic approaches. She found that the ritual represents cultural identity and social harmony, and has the potential to be developed as participatory cultural tourism without losing its sacred value.
The presence of FIB Unhas lecturers in the forum, attended by hundreds of participants, became an important part of the exchange of ideas and the strengthening of literary research networks in Indonesia. (*)
