UNAIR NEWS – Many people consider learning history is boring. There was also concern about the uncertain employment prospect. It makes some people reluctant to choose history at college.
There are various reasons. History is not very popular in the eyes of young people and there is a question: what will history graduates become in the future? Actually there are many alternatives to answer that.
One of them is the presence of a museology course in department of history. This time UNAIR NEWS will discuss more about museology and its relevance to life with Edy Budi Santoso, S.S., M.A., lecturer in Department of History, Faculty of Humanities (FIB) Universitas Airlangga.
Interesting Studies
Edy answered how museology is an interesting study to take in UNAIR History Sciences. According to him, museology is from a theoretical level, research studies on Indonesian cultural heritage.
“Because of the cultural heritage will be managed by museum later. Its theoretical level is learned in museology,” said Edy.
In the course, there are several categories of periodization that need to be studied, traditional times, modern times, and post-modern.
The traditional period, precisely the Dutch colonial period, the museum used bureaucrats or scientists to preserve unique Indonesian cultural products. The aim is to satisfy museum owners.
In modern times, museums are needed by the community when the Indonesian people are liberated from colonialism. Indonesia was in need of an identity to show that the inter-regions could unite on the basis of Indonesian independence.
“Because as a new country, especially as an independent country, museum at that time functioned as an icon to strengthen the culture of people and country of Indonesia,” said Edi.
Meanwhile, the post-modern period or The New Museology, museum studies are devoted to retrace identity across cultures and countries. Because, he continued, it is inseparable from the influence of globalization.
Practice and Certification
Edy said that students who take museology course are prepared to answer that development, especially on Field Lecture Practice (PKL, ed) to museums every year.
“As in 2017, students held PKL in Madura, precisely at Sumenep Palace Museum and High Asta Tomb. It is done to improve the knowledge and insight of students about the characteristics of Madurese community,” he said.
In addition to PKL, students are provided with exhibition practice. Edy said, the exhibition was carried out to identify the types of objects classified as archeology or in the field of anthropology.
After participating in museology course, students are entitled to obtain the certificate of competence from LSP UNAIR as Certificate of Diploma Companion (SKPI), with a minimum requirement of obtaining AB score. Edi said that it is given to help students who have passed museology course to get jobs appropriate with the competence.
Alumni Performance and Future’s Hope
Some alumni have performed actively in professional world, Edy said, there are several alumni who have applied museum knowledge, such as Aji Destiawan who is currently at the House of Sampoerna Museum, Basit in Surabaya Heroes Monument Museum, Citra who works at East Java Tourism Office, and Ika Ayu who works at Cultural Preservation Hall of Director General of Culture, Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture.
“Yesterday, Mbak Citra visited the department, she was assigned to identify types of craft items and the government planned to make some laws about them, and then Mbak Ika Ayu from class of 2014 who is currently become a subordinate of Hilmar Faridz (Director General of Culture, ed), “said the lecturer in Cultural Heritage.
Edy said that with alumni who want to have a career in museums will bring hope to the future of the nation. Because according to him, alumni will play a major role in preserving Indonesia’s cultural heritage spread from Sabang to Merauke.
“Because when foreigners come to Indonesia, the first one asked for sure is Indonesian culture is, they want to know about Indonesian culture. We provide selected people who understand about the museum to describe to them, “he concluded. (*)
Author: Fariz Ilham Rosyidi
Editor: Feri Fenoria
