UKI Hosts International Conference on the Importance of Archipelagic Perspectives

The Faculty of Letters and Languages at Universitas Kristen Indonesia (FSB UKI) is hosting an international conference titled ‘Archipelagic Flows’ to discuss the importance of an archipelagic perspective as a foundation for national development. FSB UKI Dean Susanne A.H. Sitohang stated that the successful organisation of this world-class conference was the result of collaboration between various parties and the full support of the UKI academic community. ‘Through this international conference, every participant can exchange ideas and learn from each other’s differences. I hope this conference can be a small agent of change that brings us towards a better world,’ Susanne said in a written statement in Jakarta on Wednesday. The discussion is part of UKI’s hosting of the International Conference ‘Archipelagic Flows’, a joint conference of the 6th Critical Island Studies (CIS) and 31st Performance Studies international (PSi) from 15 to 18 July 2026. Susanne noted that Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic nation, comprising more than 17,000 islands and home to over 700 languages. Each island in Indonesia possesses cultural wealth with its own regional characteristics, such as traditional dances, clothing, and houses. ‘On this occasion, UKI becomes a meeting centre for more than 350 academics, artists, and activists from 35 countries to enrich scientific studies on ecology and the island environment, including the world’s oceans,’ she explained. The conference brings together academics, experts, and practitioners from various interdisciplinary fields to seek solutions to various problems in an effort to preserve the sustainability of the earth’s nature. These problems include indigenous communities in coastal areas being displaced from their homes and the destruction of coral reefs, which impacts marine ecology. ‘This international conference highlights the importance of managing the environment, especially in archipelagic regions, as well as the importance of fighting for the rights of people in coastal areas,’ she added. Meanwhile, UKI academic Veda Sitepu discussed the economic access rights of coastal fisherwomen from the perspectives of legal justice and gender equality. ‘Fisherwomen play a vital role in sustaining the household economy and coastal communities through their involvement in capture fisheries, fish processing, marketing, and the distribution of fishery products. However, fisherwomen are still under-recognised as economic actors and remain marginalised in fisheries governance,’ she explained. She noted that most are still not covered by labour law protection and have not fully benefited from government development programmes. ‘Legal protection for fisherwomen is more formal than substantive. Achieving substantive justice requires affirmative policies and the more effective implementation of gender-responsive legal and regulatory frameworks,’ Veda stated. According to her, the government should revise or issue derivative regulations to explicitly define and recognise fisherwomen as legitimate actors. This legal definition must encompass pre-harvest and post-harvest activities that involve women’s key roles. ‘It is important to implement gender mainstreaming in fisheries programmes to ensure that capacity building, financing, insurance, and cooperative membership are equally accessible to women,’ she said.