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INA
History Discussion in the Digital Humanities Era, Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University held the 9th FIB DigiTalk
On Friday, October 10, 2025, the Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University held the 9th Faculty of Humanities’ DigiTalk online via Zoom Meeting. This series, addressed the topic “History in the Digital Humanities Era: From the Democratization of Archives to Epistemological Debates.” The guest speaker for this event was Dr. Eka Ningtyas, a historian and Head of the History Laboratory at Yogyakarta State University. The event was moderated by I Kadek Surya Jayadi, S.S., M.A., a lecturer from the Bachelor of History, Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University. Participants in this FIB DigiTalk came from among lecturers, students, and cultural and historical activists. The activity began with welcoming remarks from the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University, represented by Dr. I Gede Oeinada, S.S., M.Hum., Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and Planning. In his speech, he stated that FIB DigiTalk serves as a strategic effort to strengthen digital literacy within the humanities. He also expressed his appreciation to Dr. Eka Ningtyas for sharing her knowledge and insights with a diverse audience. He hoped that the discussion would inspire participants to become data architects and creators of meaningful digital historical experiences.
The session continued with a presentation by Dr. Eka Ningtyas, who shared that her interest in digital history began with the difficulties she faced while collecting data for her dissertation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lack of digitalized archives prompted her to study the large-scale digitalization project at the National Library of Indonesia. She observed firsthand the use of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to accelerate historical research processes. According to her, although technology offers convenience, researchers must remain cautious of potential information distortion in digital formats that could affect the authenticity of historical sources. Dr. Ningtyas also highlighted the issue of inclusivity in cultural digitalization. She pointed out that many digitization initiatives fail to include access for the original cultural owners, leading to the alienation of communities from their own heritage. Nevertheless, she acknowledged that digitalization opens up new horizons for research through distant reading, which enables large-scale data analysis in cultural and historical studies. She concluded her presentation by affirming that “history must remain critical and creative in utilizing digital sources.”
Dr. Ningtyas also discussed the epistemological debates surrounding digitalization, emphasizing that digital archives may lose their sensory and material qualities—such as texture and scent—that traditionally form part of a historian’s external critique. She argued that working with non-OCR digital archives can sometimes better approximate the traditional experience of researching in a physical library. Hence, she stressed the importance of developing comprehensive and reflective methodologies to adapt to the digital era. She also highlighted the issue of inclusivity in cultural digitalization. She pointed out that many digitization initiatives fail to include access for the original cultural owners, leading to the alienation of communities from their own heritage. Nevertheless, she acknowledged that digitalization opens up new horizons for research through distant reading, which enables large-scale data analysis in cultural and historical studies. She concluded her presentation by affirming that “history must remain critical and creative in utilizing digital sources.”
The discussion continued with a lively Q&A session, during which participants asked about decolonizing digital archives, funding opportunities for digital history projects, and maintaining authenticity in open-access digital collections. The participants’ engagement demonstrated the growing interest in digital transformation within the humanities and historical research fields. The activity concluded with Gede Primahadi Wijaya Rajeg, Ph.D., as the organizing committee chair, presenting certificates to the speaker and moderator, followed by a group photo session. This Faculty of Humanities DigiTalk served as an inspiring forum for the academic community of Faculty of Humanities Udayana University to continue advancing digital-based research in the fields of history and culture. Through initiatives, the Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University reaffirms its commitment to embracing digital transformation in academic and cultural research.
UDAYANA UNIVERSITY