The Scientific Podcast Across Continents Now Reaches Episode 24: IAIN Syekh Nurjati Cirebon One Step Closer to Becoming a Global Cyber Campus
IAIN Cirebon – The transition phase from IAIN Syekh Nurjati Cirebon to UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon is increasingly marked by collaborative scientific activities on an international scale. One of the English Language Teaching lecturers at IAIN Syekh Nurjati Cirebon, Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D., who also serves as the Director of the International Office, has now set a new record as a co-host on the 24th episode of the International TESOL podcast with AsiaCALL (The Asia Association of Computer Assisted Language Learning) last Saturday (February 17th).
The podcast titled "Reading Professional Literature" featured five speakers spanning across Asia and Australia, including Ania Lian, Ph.D. from Charles Darwin University, Australia; Professor Andrew Lian from University of Canberra, Australia, who is also affiliated with Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand, and Ho Chi Minh Open University, Vietnam; Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. from IAIN Syekh Nurjati Cirebon; Nguyen Nhat Quang, Ph.D. from Nova College, Vietnam; and Mengly Ky from Cambodia, who recently completed a Master's in Digital Learning at Charles Darwin University, Australia.
In this episode, the speakers emphasized that the development of professional reading skills should be an integral part of curriculum, pedagogy, and holistic assessment practices. They stressed the systematic integration of these skills as a crucial component of scholarly activities on every campus. Dr. Lala Bumela Sudimantara specifically outlined six key competencies within professional reading skills: accessing and evaluating information sources, synthesizing information, analyzing recent research findings, applying theories into new practices, updating scholarly knowledge, adapting to changes, and reflecting on teaching-research-service practices. These competencies, when integrated into a cohesive system, prevent academic stagnation and ensure continual scholarly advancement.
Professor Andrew Lian, also serving as the President of AsiaCALL, emphasized the importance of pushing boundaries and rethinking common practices, citing transformative research from doctoral theses by Dr. Lala Bumela Sudimantara and Dr. Luqman Baehaqi, which introduced new pedagogical approaches based on rhythm, intonation, and emotion for academic literacy. These approaches have since been successfully implemented in Vietnam and parts of China. He underscored the critical role of such academic podcasts in enhancing the visibility of innovative research conducted by AsiaCALL members across Australia and Asia.
Dr. Lala Bumela Sudimantara added that in the context of transitioning to UIN Siber, a shift in epistemology must occur, as educational transformation cannot solely rely on technology. This shift necessitates new mindsets, energies, and inspirations to establish best practices in literacy and other forms of learning at UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati, setting a benchmark for other Islamic State Universities (PTKIN) and campuses worldwide.
The bi-weekly podcast, concluding each Saturday at 2 PM after 1.5 hours, concluded on an inspirational note. As they prepare for the 25th episode, the speakers involved hope that the podcast continues to serve as a new scholarly oasis for English language learning, fostering innovative research ideas that enrich academic life at IAIN Syekh Nurjati Cirebon as it evolves into a global campus.
