Prof. Widagdo Oration:Develope Nation Toward Independent Society

Oleh asni jatiningasih

Editor -

BANDUNG, itb.ac.id - It was Saturday ( 20/12), ITB Professor Association held a professor emeritus oration in a topic " Develope Nation Toward Independent Society, a reflection of half millenium Indonesia's history". The oration took place at ITB Scientist Meeting Room Hall (Balai Pertemuan Ilmiah ITB) and presented by Prof.Widagdo.

At first, Prof. Widagdo speaking about his concern on culture. Talking about culture, it means entering the very complex world, world that very wide without edge and full of uncertainty. This is because culture  itself is a part of lives. He said that the culture is " raison d'etre" ( meaning) of the human excistence in this earth. He embrace the culture as three symptoms that form culture that is idea ( norm, order, value, mores, etc), activity (cultural society action which have the repetitif pattern) and 'artifak' (cultural goods which still traced, would be like article, inscription, architecture, etc)

Next, the Satyalencana Karya Satya winner year of 1997 and Satyalencana Pembangunan winner year of 2000 speaking about forward culture and progress concept of the culture. Such forward culture is the growing of society awareness in the needs ti change many live system toward developement, to change up to the better, more life lightening, etc. One of the forward culture that he discussed is west culture. West culture evolution to the onward culture happened because social structure of the economics changing, progress of technology, birth of creative people who can make a movement in various area, and the standardization in many matters.

In the end, Prof. Widagdo conclude that role of culture is determining the history route with the individual desire to have such a progress as requirement . A country will go forward or sink finally depended on itself and not because of the external influence. There is a role that could be done by ITB to develop the Indonesian culture. ITB as an institution can start by improving the academic convergence among science branches, making the cross faculty program, cross study programme, and booster a multi-dicipline in knowledge to answer the challenge in society.

As a conclusion to the oration, without wishing to behave cynical, Prof.Widagdo call upon: "Together, we can!!!".
 


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