Malanginspirasi.com – Universitas Negeri Malang (UM) is taking an innovative stride in the development of historical research methods by hosting a Summer Course on Oral History. This five-day event, held from July 7th to 11th, 2025, is an integral component of the research project titled “Development of a Digital Module as a Guide for Oral History Training and Research in Indonesia”.
The event was officially inaugurated by the Rector of Universitas Negeri Malang, Prof. Dr. Hariyono, M.Pd., who also delivered the keynote address.
In his lecture, he emphasized the crucial role of oral history.
“The significance of oral history lies in exploring the past to uncover events absent from formal and mainstream history books,” Prof. Hariyono stated firmly to the press.
He further clarified that practicing oral history does not undermine written sources; rather, oral sources can critique written records, and conversely, written sources can verify oral testimonies.
The summer course accommodated twenty participants, carefully selected from a total of fifty-four applicants. The academic sessions were conducted at A6 Building, Faculty of Social Sciences (FIS UM), and GKB A19 UM, while fieldwork took place in two locations rich in historical narratives: the Chinatown area of Malang City and Pandansari Village, Malang Regency.
Digital Oral History Module: A Breakthrough Innovation
A highlight of the event was the launch and trial of an innovative digital module accessible at https://sejarahlisan.um.ac.id/. The development of this module was motivated by the scarcity of flexible oral history teaching materials accessible to anyone, anytime, and anywhere.
The research and module development project is led by Aditya N. Widiadi, Ph.D., along with a team from UM: Indah Wahyu Puji Utami, S.Pd., M.Pd., Ph.D., Wahyu Djoko Sulistyo, M.Hum., and Arif Subekti, M.A., with outputs from the International Research Network (IRN) scheme.
A key feature of this project is its robust international collaboration, involving renowned experts such as Prof. Dr. Diana Suhardiman and Prof. Dr. Fridus Steijlen from the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV) & Leiden University, and Dr. Eveline Buccheim from the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies.
Aditya N. Widiadi explained that this initiative emerged from an urgent need among academics and researchers.
“The Oral History Collective—a consortium of oral history researchers from UGM, UM, UKSW, KITLV, NIOD, Leiden, and Utrecht—designated UM for its excellence in educational innovation to develop this module,” he said.
The research team, including Aditya, Indah, Prof. Fridus, and Dr. Eveline, completed the module development before its implementation in the UM summer course in July.
A similar event is also planned at Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana (UKSW) Salatiga in September 2025.
“Through a combination of lectures from experts and direct access to the digital module, participants are expected to gain a comprehensive understanding and practical skills in conducting oral history research, a method that is increasingly recognized for its role in enriching and critiquing established historical narratives,” he concluded.
