IO, Malang – Universitas Brawijaya (UB) Center for Culture and Frontier Studies (CCFS) held an international seminar titled “Technology and Postcoloniality: Historical and Social Studies of Technology on Southeast Asia” in the UB Widyaloka Building on Friday, January 25-26, 2019. Speakers at the seminar included Prof. Hans Pols from School for History and Philosophy of Science, University of Sydney, Australia, and Tirto.id Indonesia Senior News Researcher Yuti Ariani Fatimah, with Hatib Abdul Jadur from the Anthropology Department represented Universitas Brawijaya.
Chairperson of Activities Anton Novenanto stated that the seminar was aimed at developing research or studies on technology from the perspective of the social humanities, as until the field has historically been appraised solely through a technical lens. “The final result of this event is to create a book that can be a guide for social humanities studies in the Southeast Asian region,” said Anton.
Hatib Abdul Jadur stated that technology was a medium which could be used by a nation or society to convey information. “So, actually technology is just a medium to provide information, while false information or hoaxes arise not because of technology as even before technology hoaxes were already prevalent in society and in many nations,” he said.
On a similar note, Anton added that the peoples understanding of technology must be bettered as technology is not just gadgets such as handphones but rather can be understood as a technique for doing something.
“Do not just look at technology from the perspective of science, technology must be seen as a kind of technique or skill of a person in doing something to adapt to the environment,” he said.
Prof. Hans Pols, a writer from the University of Sydney, related the history of medicine in Indonesia in the colonial era and after colonization, at the event. (UB Public Relations)