Bahtiar Effendy Auditorium, FISIP Online – The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) UIN Jakarta, in collaboration with the Indonesian Sociological Association (ISI) Jabodetabek, held the Year-End Reflection 2023 event on Friday, (12/1/2023), at the Bahtiar Effendy Auditorium, FISIP UIN Jakarta campus.

Moderated by Prof. Iim Halimatusa’diyah, the event carried the theme "Indonesian Democracy: The Role of Sociologists and Social Scientists" featured several speakers, namely Prof. Paulus Wirutomo (University of Indonesia), Prof. Saiful Mujani, MA (UIN Jakarta), and Ubaedillah Badrun, M.Si (UNJ).

Dean of FISIP UIN Jakarta, Prof. Dzuriyatun Toyibah in her opening remarks, expressed her joy, as she was pleased that colleagues from FISIP, including FISIP UIN Jakarta, UIN, UNJ, UPN, and ISI, could initiate this event.

“Today, we will begin the year-end reflection, contemplating the future of Indonesia. In a matter of days, we will hold a democracy celebration. I believe it captures the attention of all of us. As a nation, we must remain optimistic even though we are often haunted by various concerns during moments of leadership transition, such as worrying about threats to political identity and the polarization occurring in society. Alhamdulillah, we have successfully navigated through it all,” she said.

"In this year," he added, "I hope that there will be initiatives again to ensure that reflections on the future of Indonesian democracy remain in an optimistic position.

"May this event run smoothly and generate thoughts that can inspire students," he added.

Chairperson of ISI Jabodetabek, Indra Ratna Irawati Patinnasarany, expressed her delight in her welcoming remarks at being able to collaborate with FISIP UIN Jakarta in organizing this event, which marks the first activity conducted by ISI Jabodetabek. She then shared a brief profile of ISI to the audience.

At the same occasion, Prof. Paulus also mentioned that as a sociological association, ISI must play a role in creating sociologists who are adaptive to the changing times and market needs, thereby enhancing the skills of sociologists to enter a broader job market.

Meanwhile, Ubaedillah Badrun stated that our democracy index is currently in a stagnant condition and is even predicted to decline. “Therefore, sociologists must play a role in critical and public domains, not just in the professional realm,” said Ubaedillah.

"In line with Ubaedillah, Prof. Saiful Mujani stated that over the past 10-20 years, there has been an empirical pattern showing a decline in democracy in various parts of the world. According to Prof. Saiful, the decline in democracy is not due to coups but rather the result of the behavior of elites within the democratic system.

“Democracy is used as a Trojan horse ridden by certain parties to achieve their own goals. A classic example is Hitler and the Nazis,” he said.

He also added that, as a moral responsibility, scientists or sociologists must make statements of position for the future of the country and democracy.

The event, lasting for 3 hours, concluded with a question-and-answer session between participants and the speakers.