Universitas Gadjah Mada will confer the title of Doctor Honoris Causa (DHC) to a prominent Indonesian wayang observer, Drs. Solichin, on Friday (18/12). The plan is to receive diplomas offline, represented by a member of the Solichin family. Meanwhile, Solichin’s scientific oration as the recipient of the honoris causa doctorate will be delivered online.
Prof. Dr. Mukhtasar Syamsuddin, a member of the Promoter Team, said that the awarding of an HC doctorate to Solichin shows UGM’s commitment to cultural development figures. Solichin is known as an observer and developer of wayang philosophy. “The awarding of this honorary title proves UGM’s commitment to developing Indonesian culture and popular values, as well as Pancasila,” said Mukhtasar to reporters on Tuesday (15/12).
According to Mukhtasar, one of Solichin’s contributions in education is to transform the world of wayang from performing arts to the academic world through wayang philosophy education. For UGM philosophy, he said, his contribution is very significant in the development of Systematic and Critical Wayang Philosophy, as one of the elements of Nusantara Philosophy to continue developing dynamically. “He has also produced many books, including the wayang encyclopedia with other authors,” he said.
Meanwhile, from a cultural perspective, he added, Solichin was able to bring wayang into Indonesian cultural art that UNESCO recognized as a Masterpiece of humanity’s oral and intangible heritage.
Solichin, who is currently the Chairman of the Honorary Council of the National Secretariat of Indonesian Puppetry (Senawangi) will deliver a scientific speech entitled Advancing Systematic Wayang Philosophy and the World of Puppetry in Indonesia. The speech will convey the issue of Wayang Philosophy which was developed from the original Indonesian culture, namely Pancasila, with its values extracted from the culture of the Indonesian nation.
Source: https://ugm.ac.id/id/berita/20500-ugm-akan-berikan-gelar-doktor-hc-pada-solichin
