Doctoral Program in Cultural Studies at Udayana University Holds Cultural Studies Webinar in Celebration of Youth Pledge Day

The Doctoral Program in Cultural Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University, held a webinar themed “Exploring Local Wisdom through Research with Universal Impact” to mark the 97th Youth Pledge Day, conducted online on October 28, 2025.

The webinar featured two keynote speakers: Prof. I Ketut Adnyana, M.Si., Ph.D., Director of PPM at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, and Putu Eka Guna Yasa, Ph.D. student at École Pratique des Hautes Études – Paris and lecturer at the Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University. The session was moderated by Dewa Ayu Carma Citrawati, Ph.D. student at Hamburg University and lecturer at Udayana University. The event opened with remarks from Prof. I Nyoman Darma Putra, Ph.D., Coordinator of the Doctoral Program in Cultural Studies, followed by a welcoming address from Prof. Ir. I Ketut Sudarsana, S.T., Ph.D., Rector of Udayana University, who officially inaugurated the webinar.

In his speech, Rector Prof. Sudarsana emphasized the relevance of the theme to Udayana University’s vision of advancing culture-based research that excels academically while also benefiting global society. Through its Main Scientific Pattern (PIP) of Culture, Udayana University positions culture as a source of ideas, innovation, and solutions for contemporary challenges — from traditional health systems and irrigation to arts and the development of wellness tourism rooted in local knowledge.

According to the Rector, the webinar also highlighted the importance of building an epistemic bridge between tradition and public policy. When local sources are examined using modern scientific methodologies, the results not only enrich academic knowledge but also provide scientific justification for cultural practices often regarded merely as “custom.” Thus, cultural research has the potential to influence the design of education, health, creative economy, and tourism governance programs that are more contextual and aligned with local identities.

The Rector further expressed hope that this webinar would not merely serve as an academic ceremony but as a conceptual demonstration that the production of knowledge need not start from zero. Indonesia, he noted, possesses a vast reservoir of wisdom which, when explored through disciplined research, can become a source of intellectual renewal, technological innovation, and ethical legitimacy for both national and global policies. Through this event, Udayana University reaffirms its position as an institution that not only preserves tradition but elevates it to the arena of global scientific discourse.

The first speaker, Putu Eka Guna Yasa, presented a study titled Wārabhoga: A Study on the Eating Discipline of Śiva Ascetics in Kawi and Balinese Literature, revealing that the relationship between diet, intellectual clarity, and mental resilience has long existed in local traditions long before being articulated in modern nutrition science. Through texts such as Lontar Tattva Brata, Geguritan Lodha, and Kakawin Rāmāyana, he identified ethical and rhythmic eating practices as methods of self-discipline formation — ideas that now parallel modern concepts such as mindful eating, circadian regulation, and autophagy. This perspective, he argued, could serve as a conceptual reference for designing modern public policies, including the Nutritious Eating Program (MBG) for Indonesia’s Golden Generation 2045.

In the second presentation, Prof. I Ketut Adnyana explained that Indonesia’s local wisdom — such as Tri Hita Karana, Asta Bumi, Nyepi, and Tumpek rituals — are not merely symbolic artifacts but epistemic heritages compatible with modern science. Using the framework of Satyam Siwam Sundaram, he emphasized that scientific truth, ethical utility, and aesthetic beauty must be integrated so that research does not remain elitist knowledge but generates measurable social impact. He also cited the National Art Innovation Program (PISN) as an example of an integrative policy that transforms local wisdom into a productive and outcome-oriented knowledge and innovation ecosystem.

Moderated by Dewa Ayu Carma Citrawati, the discussion concluded by reaffirming that local wisdom can only speak universally when it is critically revisited, contextualized to contemporary issues, and developed through impactful research frameworks. Udayana University hopes that this spirit continues to grow across disciplines and institutions — ensuring that culture does not remain merely a memory, but becomes a conceptual engine for the future of science and humanity.