UNS — Numerous Study Programs in Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta continuously invites guest lectures for virtual courses. The Sociology Study Program, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) is one of the study programs that never miss out on this chance to invite international guest lectures. This time, the program invites a professor from the National University of Singapore (NUS), Dr. Azhar Ibrahim Alwee. Professor in Melayu and Indonesian Sociology, who delivers material on Autonomous Social Science.
In his material, Dr. Azhar states that most of the academicians use the existing social sciences theories, which mostly are European-centric as it was developed from European researches. Those theories are exalted and glorified, while it is not necessarily helpful to solve the problems that exist in Asia. Considering this condition, Autonomous Social Science is developed.
Autonomous Social Science aims to develop western social sciences by focussing on Asian problems. The autonomous aspect of this thinking mainly strives to conceptualize and prioritize regional issues in developing research agenda to find original theory through empirical researches within a country.
“How are we going to establish an Autonomous Social Science if our textbooks and theories are only from the western point of view? All in a while, we set aside the theory from Asian researchers,” Dr. Azhar reveals during the virtual guest through Zoom Cloud Meeting.
Further, Dr. Azhar is concerned with the condition where researchers know better about foreign countries than their nation. When this condition happens, researchers’ sensitivity to face national problems will become low, and hampering the settlement of national issues.
“If we choose poorly, we can only follow others in discussing an issue but does not understand the problems arising in our country. We will be swayed for not understanding the actual problems we face,” he stressed.
Also attending the guest lecture is Yuyun Sunesti, G.D. Soc., M.A., and Addin Kurnia Putri, S.Sos., M.A., as the lecturer from the Sociology Study Program FISIP UNS. Humas UNS
Reporter: Ida Fitriyah
Editor: Dwi Hastuti
