The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Brawijaya (FISIP UB) held a Guest Lecture entitled “What Humanities and Social Sciences Can Bring to Social Cohesion” on Friday (11/4/2025) in Room 7.2, Building C, FISIP UB.
This guest lecture presented an international resource person, Professor Heather Zwicker, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Campus, Culture and Leadership from The University of Queensland, Australia.
In his remarks, the Dean of FISIP UB, Prof. Anang Sujoko conveyed the importance of this topic amidst the current social conditions which are increasingly complex and tend to avoid social interaction.
Anang Sujoko hopes that the material presented can inspire students to find research topics or form new perspectives in responding to contemporary social phenomena.
“We present speakers who are very appropriate and relevant to this issue. In the field of social sciences and humanities, we can learn how this science contributes to social cohesion,” he added.
Entering the material delivery session, Professor Heather explained that social cohesion is the bonds and relationships that unite society.
This cohesion includes shared values, a sense of belonging, trust in institutions, reduced inequality, and solidarity between individuals and communities.
Furthermore, Heather introduced the concept of social license—which is informal agreement from society regarding the existence of an organization.
In the context of higher education, social license now depends heavily on the ability of institutions to strengthen social cohesion.
Some of the main challenges faced in building social cohesion include increasingly complex diversity, the inevitable digital presence, economic inequality, polarization, and competing historical narratives.
Professor Heather also touched on the phenomenon of demagoguery—which is political activity that emphasizes emotion and prejudice more than rationality. According to her, this exacerbates social divisions and distances society from constructive dialogue.
Furthermore, Heather said that social cohesion is not just a local issue, but a global problem that is being faced by various countries including Australia.
She gave an example of how developed countries are now struggling to maintain public trust in institutions, address social inequality and strengthen a sense of togetherness in an increasingly diverse society.
In Australia, according to Heather, the challenges of social cohesion are closely related to issues of multiculturalism, relations between indigenous and non-indigenous communities, and increasing individualism due to economic pressures and the dominance of digital media.
“We see how regional inequality and a long history of exclusion of indigenous communities continue to affect social trust. This situation is similar to the social dynamics that I also see in Indonesia,” she said.
She highlighted that Indonesia is currently facing similar challenges, such as political polarization, economic inequality, and identity-based social conflicts that are exacerbated by social media.
Heather emphasized that universities have a moral and social responsibility to not only study this phenomenon, but also to be actively involved in finding solutions.
“Universities should be spaces for healthy public discourse, creating shared cultural experiences, and bridging the gap between the global and the local,” she explained.
This guest lecture is expected to open students’ insights into the vital role of social sciences and humanities in building a more cohesive and just society. (Atho-FISIP PR/ UB PR/ Trans. Iir)
