Rangsit, Thailand – The English Literature Study Program, Faculty of Adab and Cultural Sciences (FADIB), Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, continued to strengthen the internationalization of its learning activities through a guest lecture at the Faculty of Liberal Arts (FLARTS), Thammasat University, on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Thailand time at the Rangsit Campus.

The guest lecture was delivered by Dr. Ulyati Retno Sari, S.S., M.Hum., Head of the English Literature Study Program at UIN Sunan Kalijaga, as part of a class taught by Asst. Prof. Dr. Kriangkrai Vathanalaoha. The activity was also supported by the course instructor and Putri Khaleida, a student from the English Literature Study Program at UIN Sunan Kalijaga, who served as a student assistant and provided technical support during the learning session.

The 2026 guest lecture received support from the leadership of FLARTS, including Asst. Prof. Dr. Sirirat Na Ranong, Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts, and Ajarn Wannipa Wongpunya, Head of the Department of Linguistics. Support was also provided by the FLARTS International Affairs team, particularly Ms. Kannika Meesak and Ms. Orawan Changklungmoh, as well as Ajarn Dr. Hamam Supriyadi, who contributed to strengthening the Indonesia–Thailand academic network.

Narratology, Stylistics, and AI

The guest lecture, entitled “Narratology, Stylistics, and Spider-Man: From Story Structure to Creative Industry in the Age of AI,” explored the connections between narratology, stylistics, linguistics, film, the creative industries, and the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Using Seymour Chatman’s ideas as the primary theoretical framework, students were introduced to the concepts of story and discourse, including events, existents, and character, as well as how narrative information is conveyed through order, duration, frequency, and perspective.

The discussion was then connected to stylistics, with students examining linguistic choices and patterns through lexis, syntax, modality, deixis, dialogue, repetition, silence, and register. Since film was also used as an object of analysis, the discussion was expanded to include camera work, editing, sound, performance, lighting, setting, and other visual elements.

As a case study, Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) was used to explore issues of identity, memory, isolation, transformation, and threat. Students were guided through the following analytical framework:

Story → Discourse → Style → Effect → Interpretation

Learning through the 3P Approach

The guest lecture employed the 3P approach: Presentation, Practice, and Production. During the Presentation stage, students were introduced to key concepts in narratology, Seymour Chatman’s theoretical framework, stylistics, and film stylistics. During the Practice stage, students applied these concepts through the Spider-Man case study. Finally, in the Production stage, students conducted a group analysis of The Greedy Milkman Story.

The learning activities also emphasized the relevance of narratology and stylistics to film, streaming, games, comics, advertising, social media, adaptation, and the creative industries. The Thailand–Indonesia context and developments in AI were also discussed, particularly how stories can change when they move across languages, cultures, audiences, or media.

In the context of AI, students were encouraged to understand that the ability to generate stories needs to be accompanied by human capacity to evaluate story coherence, character consistency, causal connections, pacing, voice, register, dialogue, tone, and cultural resonance.

Continuation of Academic Collaboration, 2023–2026

The 2026 guest lecture was part of the continuing academic collaboration between FADIB UIN Sunan Kalijaga and FLARTS Thammasat University, which has developed since 2023.

In 2023, the collaboration was realized through various academic activities, including an online guest lecture delivered by Associate Professor Maytawee Holasut from Thammasat University as part of the FADIB UIN Sunan Kalijaga Bi-Weekly Forum.

In 2024, the collaboration continued with the participation of Asst. Prof. Passapong Sripicharn, Ph.D., then Dean of FLARTS, as a speaker at an international academic event at UIN Sunan Kalijaga. Subsequently, a team from the English Literature Study Program at UIN Sunan Kalijaga, consisting of Dr. Dwi Margo Yuwono, M.Hum.; Fuad Arif Fudiyartanto, S.Pd., M.Hum., M.Ed., Ph.D.; Dr. Danial Hidayatullah, S.S., M.Hum.; and student Haidar Nushir Bi’aunillah, participated as speakers in a seminar at Thammasat University.

The collaboration continued in 2026 through an in-person guest lecture conducted directly in a classroom at Thammasat University. This development demonstrates that the partnership between the two institutions has expanded beyond academic exchanges and seminars to include direct teaching collaboration and the involvement of lecturers and students in international academic activities.

Through this initiative, the English Literature Study Program at UIN Sunan Kalijaga continues to expand international learning experiences while creating opportunities for academic dialogue between Indonesia and Thailand in the fields of language, literature, narratology, stylistics, media, the creative industries, and Artificial Intelligence. (URS/HFS)