Manuscript Research Collaboration: A Necessity, Not an Option
The preservation of Nusantara manuscripts cannot rely on the efforts of a single researcher or institution. The complexity of the challenges demands the involvement of various disciplines, institutional networks, and diverse resources and experiences. Beyond a culture of competition, the world of research must also embrace collaboration.
This was profoundly evident during the Manuscript Training and Research activity held in Sijunjung Regency from 2 to 11 July 2026. The programme united the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the Arsari Djojohadikusumo Foundation (YAD), Andalas University, UIN Imam Bonjol Padang, the Sijunjung Regency Government through its Education and Culture Office, and local manuscript preservation communities. Each party attended with a distinct role but a shared goal: to save the manuscripts and prepare a new generation of researchers.
During the event, it became clear that preservation cannot be achieved through collaboration among researchers alone. BRIN provided experienced researchers and a national network. The Arsari Djojohadikusumo Foundation supported programme development. Universities offered academic space and prepared students as future researchers, while the local government supplied the necessary facilities at the research site. Meanwhile, the manuscript owners served as the primary guardians of an intellectual heritage that has survived changing times.
Dr Sastri Sunarti, Head of the BRIN Research Centre for Manuscripts, Literature, and Oral Tradition, stressed that manuscripts must not remain merely stored heritage objects. They need to be continuously brought to life through reading, research, and utilisation for the community. This vision can only be realised with the involvement of many parties. A similar message was conveyed by the activity’s chief organiser, Dr Fakhriati, who warned that the regeneration of manuscript researchers must be undertaken immediately before the manuscripts are lost, damaged, or disappear along with the broken chain of knowledge inheritance. The greatest threat to manuscripts today is not just physical decay, but the dwindling number of people capable of reading, understanding, and researching them.
This brings to mind a poignant statement by Prof. Pramono: ‘West Sumatra is rich in manuscripts, but poor in researchers.’ This was not a criticism of any institution, but a reminder that cultural wealth is meaningless without people willing to care for it. The Sijunjung training and research was therefore not merely a knowledge transfer activity. It was an example of collaboration that can give birth to a new ecosystem in manuscript research. Students from various universities in West Sumatra were brought together to learn alongside philologists and researchers, conduct field research, write scientific articles, and prepare to present their findings at BRIN and the Nusantara Manuscript Society (MANASSA) Seminar. This chain of development shows that regeneration is not built in a single meeting, but through a sustainable process.
The experience provided a crucial lesson: the future of Nusantara manuscripts is not determined solely by the number of texts successfully digitised or inventoried. Far more important is building collaborations capable of producing new researchers. Manuscripts will remain alive as long as there are people who read them, research them, and make them a source of knowledge. Ultimately, manuscript preservation is not the work of BRIN alone, nor is it solely the responsibility of universities or local governments. It is a shared responsibility. The burden of this Nusantara intellectual heritage is too heavy to be borne by a single institution. This is where collaboration finds its true meaning: not just working together, but sharing the responsibility to ensure that the knowledge of the past continues to provide meaning for the future.