Yogyakarta, May 29, 2025 — The Master’s Program in English Language Education (MPBI) at Sanata Dharma University once again affirmed its commitment to renewing academic thought and practice through a curriculum revitalization process that goes beyond administrative procedures to become deeply reflective and transformative. In a weekly meeting held on May 27, 2025, the program’s lecturers engaged in a meaningful discussion, demonstrating a collective willingness to reimagine the future of higher education in the face of technological disruption and socio-cultural change.


Led by the Head of Program, Prof. Concilianus Laos Mbato, the conversation opened with a fundamental and imaginative question: "If we had to design a new curriculum from scratch, as if we had just received the government permit to establish the MPBI program, what kind of graduate profile would we envision?" Rather than focusing on which courses to retain, the question urged participants to think radically and philosophically.

The discussion evolved into a dialectical space that examined the curriculum through multiple lenses: philosophical, sociological, psychological, institutional-historical, and spiritual. The lecturers acknowledged that curriculum development should not be based solely on content but must respond to the realities of the times—including the transformation of the job market due to AI and Generative AI, the influence of social media on young people’s attention spans and lifestyle, and the tension between information speed and intellectual depth.

Dr. Paulus Kuswandono, one of the lecturers, emphasized the importance of developing digital content creation skills. “I’m not comfortable creating digital content myself, but that’s precisely why I believe it’s important. We need to step out of our comfort zones,” he said candidly. Prof. Concilianus echoed this sentiment, challenging the negative generalizations often made about platforms like TikTok. “There are TikTok videos that are truly eye-opening. Delivering a powerful message in a very short time requires high-level thinking skills,” he noted.

Not all participants fully agreed. Dr. Markus Budiraharjo highlighted the two opposing views often found in discussions about technology—technological determinism and technological optimism. He advocated for a stance of digital realism: critically yet openly engaging with technological realities while carefully considering data, institutional readiness, and educational values. “Academic traditions such as handwriting, close reading, and argumentation still have their place,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, Dr. Barli Bram offered a more focused view. For him, MPBI’s core mission lies in producing high-quality academic publications. “Digital content creation is important, but it’s not our central mission. Building strong scholarly writing competencies must remain a priority,” he stated.

Dr. Ouda Teda Ena brought yet another perspective, stressing the importance of intellectual depth amidst the allure of popularity. He shared a classroom experience where students critically responded to a 20-year-old article that claimed Generation Z was losing its capacity to think. “Our students disagreed, saying that while their reading habits may differ from previous generations, they are still capable of thinking deeply. They are not anti-literacy—just literate in different ways,” he explained.

This conversation exemplified an authentic academic dialogue, where every lecturer was given time to speak without interruption. The result was a shared understanding and mutual respect. Diverging opinions were not sources of conflict but served as mechanisms for checks and balances.

The next step is to articulate the key ideas into a formal curriculum document. Yet more than a document, MPBI’s curriculum revitalization process stands as a testament to the program’s commitment to being relevant, humane, and visionary in an ever-changing world.