Indonesia’s Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Prof. Dr. Abdul Mu’ti, M.Ed., emphasized the importance of linguistic and cultural sovereignty in strengthening national identity amid growing global interconnectedness. He delivered the message during a public lecture titled “Towards Dignified and Sovereign Languages and Arts,” hosted by the Faculty of Languages and Arts (FBS) at Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) on Friday, October 23, 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Held as part of FBS UNNES’s Language and Arts Month 2026, the lecture highlighted the importance of strengthening the position of Indonesian as the national language, preserving regional languages, and developing foreign language proficiency to prepare younger generations for an increasingly interconnected world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During his address, Minister Abdul Mu’ti underscored the significance of Trigatra Bangun Bahasa<\/em>, Indonesia’s three-pronged language development principle: prioritizing Indonesian, preserving regional languages, and mastering foreign languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The principle, he explained, provides a foundation for maintaining national identity while encouraging openness to international communication, knowledge exchange, and global cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lecture also reinforced the role of universities in fostering linguistic awareness, safeguarding cultural heritage, and preparing students to participate confidently in international academic and professional environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the heart of the Minister’s address was the importance of maintaining a balanced approach to language development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prioritizing Indonesian means strengthening its role as the primary language of national communication, education, and public life. Beyond its communicative function, Indonesian serves as a symbol of unity, national identity, and sovereignty in a country characterized by extraordinary linguistic and cultural diversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, preserving regional languages is essential to safeguarding Indonesia’s cultural heritage. Regional languages carry local knowledge, social values, oral traditions, and collective memories that have been passed down through generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Foreign language proficiency, meanwhile, enables Indonesians to engage with international developments in education, science, technology, and cross-cultural cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather than viewing these three priorities as competing interests, Trigatra Bangun Bahasa<\/em> encourages their complementary development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strengthening Indonesian and preserving regional languages can go hand in hand with developing foreign language competencies, allowing younger generations to remain firmly connected to their cultural roots while participating in global society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lecture’s broader theme also highlighted the significance of the arts in shaping cultural identity. Language and artistic expression are closely connected as vehicles for transmitting knowledge, preserving traditions, and representing a nation’s cultural heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prof. Heri Yanto, M.B.A., Ph.D., Acting Dean of FBS UNNES, highlighted the importance of the Minister’s visit in reinforcing the role of higher education institutions in promoting linguistic dignity and preserving Indonesia’s cultural heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The Minister’s visit reinforces our understanding that language and the arts play a strategic role in shaping national character, identity, and competitiveness. Universities, particularly faculties of languages and arts, have a responsibility to ensure that academic development and global competencies remain firmly rooted in national values and Indonesia’s rich cultural heritage,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Prof. Heri Yanto, the principles of Trigatra Bangun Bahasa<\/em> are closely aligned with FBS UNNES’s academic mission, particularly in Indonesian language education, regional language studies, foreign language education, literature, and the arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He emphasized that strengthening Indonesian as a national identity marker should be accompanied by sustained efforts to preserve regional languages and improve foreign language proficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “FBS UNNES is committed to providing education that develops not only academic and professional competencies but also a strong sense of responsibility for preserving our cultural heritage. Foreign language proficiency should serve as a bridge for introducing Indonesian languages, literature, and the arts to the world, rather than distancing younger generations from their cultural identity,” he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The public lecture also reflected the faculty’s commitment to integrating academic excellence, character development, and cultural awareness into its educational programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Muhamad Burhanudin, S.S., M.A., Vice Dean for Planning and Resources at FBS UNNES, emphasized the importance of translating the principles of linguistic and cultural sovereignty into educational practice, research, and academic innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He noted that universities play a crucial role in promoting awareness that languages and the arts are not merely academic disciplines but also essential components of a nation’s cultural strength and intellectual resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The principles of Trigatra Bangun Bahasa<\/em> must be translated into concrete initiatives through teaching, research, instructional materials development, and the use of digital technology. We need to ensure that Indonesian continues to grow stronger, regional languages remain vibrant, and foreign language proficiency develops without diminishing our appreciation of our own cultural heritage,” he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He also highlighted the opportunities offered by digital transformation for expanding cultural preservation efforts and developing innovative approaches to language and arts education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Students should be encouraged not only to use technology but also to create meaningful works and innovations that strengthen national identity. Languages and the arts must continue to evolve so that they remain relevant, competitive, and beneficial to society,” he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through strengthened linguistic and cultural literacy, students are expected to develop critical thinking, effective communication, and a deeper appreciation of Indonesia’s cultural diversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These competencies are particularly relevant as higher education institutions seek to prepare graduates who can navigate global developments while maintaining a strong connection to their cultural heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The public lecture featuring Minister Abdul Mu’ti was among the key academic events organized during FBS UNNES’s Language and Arts Month 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The annual program provides opportunities for students, academics, and the wider university community to engage in activities that promote linguistic competence, artistic creativity, cultural appreciation, and academic achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By bringing national education policymakers into dialogue with the academic community, the lecture highlighted the importance of connecting educational policy with university-level teaching, research, and cultural development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It also reinforced the relevance of language and arts education in shaping students who are academically capable, culturally aware, and prepared to contribute to society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For FBS UNNES, the event represented an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of preserving Indonesia’s linguistic diversity while developing the competencies needed for meaningful participation in an increasingly globalized world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The public lecture also supported FBS UNNES’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Its contribution to SDG 4 was reflected in efforts to strengthen language education, cultural literacy, and the development of competencies relevant to contemporary educational needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The principles of Trigatra Bangun Bahasa<\/em> also support educational approaches that recognize linguistic diversity while preparing learners to engage with international academic and professional environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, the lecture’s emphasis on preserving regional languages and traditional arts aligned with SDG 11, particularly efforts to safeguard cultural heritage and promote its transmission to future generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through the event, FBS UNNES reaffirmed its commitment to advancing innovative language and arts education that combines academic excellence, character development, and cultural preservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Minister’s message is expected to encourage the university community to put the principles of prioritizing Indonesian, preserving regional languages, and mastering foreign languages into practice through education, research, and community engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By strengthening these interconnected priorities, FBS UNNES seeks to contribute to the development of a globally engaged generation that remains firmly rooted in Indonesia’s linguistic, artistic, and cultural heritage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Indonesia’s Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Prof. Dr. Abdul Mu’ti, M.Ed., emphasized the importance of linguistic and cultural sovereignty in strengthening national identity amid growing global interconnectedness. He delivered the message during a public lecture titled “Towards Dignified and Sovereign Languages and Arts,” hosted by the Faculty of Languages and Arts (FBS) at Universitas […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":8713,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[417,425],"class_list":["post-8712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kabar-kampus","tag-unnessdg11-en","tag-unnessdg4-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unnes.ac.id\/fbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unnes.ac.id\/fbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unnes.ac.id\/fbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unnes.ac.id\/fbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unnes.ac.id\/fbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8712"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/unnes.ac.id\/fbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8712\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8715,"href":"https:\/\/unnes.ac.id\/fbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8712\/revisions\/8715"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unnes.ac.id\/fbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unnes.ac.id\/fbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unnes.ac.id\/fbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unnes.ac.id\/fbs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Balancing National Identity, Regional Heritage, and Global Competence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
FBS UNNES Reaffirms Its Commitment to Language and Cultural Education<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Connecting Linguistic Sovereignty with Educational Innovation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Language and Arts Month Promotes National Identity and Cultural Awareness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Advancing Quality Education and Cultural Preservation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n