On Wednesday, 18 July 2024, english Department UGM received a visit from Prof. Angus James Nicholls, Ph.D, professor of Comparative Literature and German Language of Queen Mary University of London and Dr. Soe Tjen Marching, a lecturer in South East Asian studies in School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London. The purpose of Prof. Angus James Nicholls, Ph.D and Dr. Soe Tjen Marching’s visit was to discuss a possibility of partnership between the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, especially the English Literature Program and Department of Language and Literature, with Queen Mary University of London and SOAS University of London to fulfil IKU 6. The discussion was conducted at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, led by Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, M.Hum., Vice Dean of Academic and Student Affairs and a lecturer in the English Department UGM.
The topic regarding the challenges of teaching literature in the era of technological development was discussed in the meeting. One of the challenges is how to anticipate the use of AI in literary studies. AI’s ability to automatically generate text can be an obstacle in the learning process if being abused by students. Another example of the challenges is how to teach literature to Gen Z, through digital media and social media.
Apart from the discussion about challenges in teaching literature in the current era, there was also a discussion about the forms of collaboration that can be implemented between the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, especially the English Literature Program and Department of Language and Literature, with Queen Mary University of London and SOAS University of London. The potential collaborations can be done through some courses (such as World Literature and COmparative Literature) and a collaborative class in the form of team teaching. These collaborations have many possibilities to be developed in the future.
