Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan - After facing the Covid-19 pandemic for two years, the Association of Adab Sciences Lecturers (ADIA) from State Islamic Religious Higher Education Institutions (PTKIN) throughout Indonesia successfully held an in-person meeting. The event took place on May 30-31, 2022, at the Best Western Hotel in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, hosted by the Faculty of Ushulluddin, Adab, and Dakwah (FUAD) of IAIN Palangka Raya. The meeting was attended by representatives of faculties and study programs affiliated with ADIA Forum, including deans, vice deans, heads and/or secretaries of study program.

The LITA Coordination Meeting, which is a part of the ADIA Forum, was one of the crucial agendas during this meeting. LITA stands for Linguistics and Literature Association, an association forum for English Language and Literature programs. The coordination meeting was attended by representatives from several English Language and Literature study programs, namely UIN Sunan Kalijaga, UIN Sunan Ampel-Surabaya, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah-Jakarta, UIN Sunan Gunung Djati-Bandung, UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim-Malang, UIN Raden Mas Said-Surakarta, and UIN Alauddin-Makassar. On this occasion, they discussed collaboration in the fields of education, research, and community engagement.

Regarding education, an agreement was reached to implement a new curriculum called Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM), which translates to Freedom to Learn, Independent Campus. This curriculum entails various agendas that need to be addressed, such as student exchange programs and guest lectures. To ensure the success of these programs, it is essential to establish uniformity in the courses offered across different study programs. This will encourage students to pursue their interests in specific subjects. Additionally, the preparation for upcoming accreditation for the departments was also discussed during the meeting.

Dr. Meinarni, the President of LITA, proposed that each LITA member should take turns hosting and speaking at monthly seminars or discussion forums. This initiative aims to broaden knowledge and foster networking among the members. Lastly, the forum decided to conduct a curriculum review by the English Language and Literature Department at UIN Sunan Kalijaga in Yogyakarta in August 2022, using a hybrid approach combining face-to-face and online components.

The LITA Coordination Meeting at the 2022 ADIA Forum in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, served as an important milestone for the representatives of English Language and Literature study programs in fostering collaboration and advancing education, research, and community engagement. With the agreements reached and the planned activities, it is hoped that LITA-ADIA will continue to contribute to the development of Adab sciences in Indonesia. (URS)