The Council of Professors of State Universities with Legal Entities held a national seminar entitled “Pancasila in the Practice of Science and the Practice of Nationhood and Statehood” at the Senate Hall of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) on Friday (16/6).
During the seminar, the professors expressed their concern that Pancasila, often referred to as the foundation of national philosophy, has yet to become the cornerstone of life values, including in policy-making within the government.
“We are concerned that Pancasila cannot serve as a guiding principle. As academics, we hope that this issue is taken more seriously, especially regarding how policymakers implement Pancasila,” said Professor Harkristuti Hakrisnowo, the council chair.
She emphasized that Pancasila should not only be taught to students for memorization. Adults must also learn to understand and use Pancasila as the foundation for their duties.
“We feel that it has not been practiced and integrated into national life,” added Professor Hakrisnowo.
Professor Pratikno, the UGM Board of Trustees chair and the Minister of State Secretariat, delivered the keynote speech at the seminar. He explained how Pancasila could be the savior of the nation and even the world amidst the various crises in recent years, hoping that discussions about Pancasila would not be limited to norms.
“Our task as an educated group in higher education is to strengthen Pancasila for Indonesia and the world in the context of the disruption of science and technology today,” explained the minister.
In addition to Pratikno, the seminar also featured other speakers, including Professor Kaelan, who presented on Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, and Statehood; Professor Lasiyo, who discussed Pancasila and Citizenship; Professor Karim Suryadi, who spoke about Pancasila in Cultivation and Political Communication; and Professor Sutaryo, who presented on Pancasila in Governance Implementation. Professor Wiendu Nuryanti from the UGM Faculty of Engineering moderated the discussion.
Vice-Rector for Education and Learning, Professor Wening Udasmoro, expressed that UGM was honored to host this national seminar aligned with UGM’s identity as a national university. As with the nation-building concepts of other countries, Pancasila, in her view, emerged from Indonesia’s long history.
“We all know that Pancasila is an ideology that serves as an anchor–a starting point for building the concepts of statehood and nationhood, which is why we still stand strong as a nation,” said the vice-rector.
Amidst the dynamic of world development, particularly technological advancements that provide significant space for individualism, she emphasized the importance of strengthening Pancasila’s values and contextualizing Pancasila. The emphasis on Pancasila must be strong because the Indonesian state and nation were built through struggle.
“We need to strengthen Pancasila in the future generations. However, it should be noted that the younger generation today faces different challenges, so the delivery of Pancasila as the pillar of national identity must be done while considering its contextualization. The goal is to ensure that Pancasila remains a living ideology and connected to the younger generation,” she explained.
Author: Gloria