ENG
INA
Faculty of Humanities Held FReTalk: Promoting the Dissemination of Lecturer Research: Studies on Ethnicity in NTT and Conceptual Metaphors
DENPASAR – The Faculty of Humanities Udayana University demonstrated its ongoing commitment to fostering a strong academic environment by hosting a scholarly forum titled “FIB Research Talk (FReTalk),” aimed at strengthening academic culture, improving the quality of faculty research, and expanding opportunities for interdisciplinary discussion within the Faculty of Humanities at Udayana University. This event to present research findings was held on Thursday, July 23, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. until completion, and took place in the Priyono Room at the Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University. This series of events was organized by the UP2M of the Faculty of Humanities with the Coordinator of the UP2M Unit, Dr. Ngurah Indra Pradhana, S.S., M.A. The FReTalk event was officially opened by the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities Udayana University, Prof. I Nyoman Aryawibawa, S.S., M.A., Ph.D. The event was also attended by faculty leaders, the Chair of the Senate, Study Program Coordinators, full professors, and lecturers from the Faculty of Humanities.
In his opening remarks, Prof. I Nyoman Aryawibawa, S.S., M.A., Ph.D., emphasized the importance of faculty initiatives in facilitating the accelerated dissemination of doctoral (S3) research findings by its faculty members. He stressed that this event was specifically designed to be purely research-based. Furthermore, the Dean of Faculty of Humanities Udayana University strongly encouraged young academics on campus to continue proactively participating in similar scientific forums. The Dean emphasized that scientific forums such as FReTalk serve as strategic platforms for fostering a productive academic atmosphere, strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration, and enhancing the quality of research outputs that contribute to the advancement of science and society.
This session began with a presentation by Dr. Fransiska Dewi Setiowati Sunaryo, S.S., M.Hum., on the topic “Identity and Ethnicity in East Nusa Tenggara within the Context of Indonesian National Identity.” Dr. Fransiska explained that the concept of identity among the people of East Nusa Tenggara is highly dynamic, shaped by a long historical journey spanning the era of local kingdoms, Portuguese and Dutch domination, and the missionary efforts to spread Christianity and Catholicism. One of the most interesting findings from her research is the strong preservation of Sumba’s traditional customs among its people when they migrated to Bali. Unlike some other migrant ethnic groups, the majority of Sumba people who pass away in Bali are not buried in their adopted land; instead, their remains must be brought back to their homeland to uphold traditional customs. The discussion highlighted the importance of a humanities-based approach in understanding cultural diversity as the foundation for strengthening national unity. An interactive Q&A session explored the history of the establishment of the Flobamora Extended Family Association (IKB) in Bali. This community organization, which was initially launched as a cross-ethnic savings and loan group, has now transformed into a vital support system that provides protection and a sense of security for the NTT diaspora community.
The second session continued with a presentation on cognitive linguistic analysis by Dr. Ni Made Ayu Widiastuti, S.S., M.Hum., titled “Conceptual Metaphors: Concepts, Theories, and Methods.” Dr. Ayu corrected a common misconception by explaining that conceptual metaphors are not merely a matter of stylistic devices. Adhering to the foundational theory of Lakoff and Johnson (1980), she explained that metaphors are a human cognitive mechanism for understanding abstract concepts (the target domain) through more tangible and concrete things (the source domain). In presenting her research findings, Dr. Ayu employed a large-scale mixed-methods approach (qualitative and quantitative) by extracting data from an Indonesian language corpus. Using statistical software and the Heavier package, this study successfully mapped thousands of linguistic expressions to analyze how speakers conceptualize various emotions, such as “ketakutanp (fear),” “panik" (panic),” and “keresahan (anxiety).” The results of this statistical data analysis then yielded a conceptual metaphor prototype regarding the stages of a person’s emotions.
The launch of the FIB Research Talk forum demonstrates that interdisciplinary academic discourse can be presented in an engaging and substantive manner, while also reinforcing Udayana University’s position as a leading research institution. Through the FIB Research Talk (FReTalk), the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities Udayana University hopes this forum will become a sustainable academic initiative to foster high-quality research, strengthen collaborative networks among researchers, and increase the number of reputable scientific publications. This event is also expected to support the realization of the vision of the Faculty of Humanities Udayana University, as a leading institution of higher education in the development of the humanities, languages, literature, and culture at both the national and international levels.
UDAYANA UNIVERSITY