The Anthropology Study Program of the Faculty of Cultural Studies, Universitas Brawijaya, held a national conference and seminar titled “Assessing the Movement and Direction of Development in Eastern Indonesia” on October 16, 2019. At the event, Faculty of Law UGM student Etheldreda d’Ely Eunice Luzchenny Tenda Wongkar (Chenny) and Anthropology student Franceline Anggia (Anggia) from the Faculty of Cultural Studies UGM presented their paper entitled “Ini Tong Pu Sekolah: Viewing Education through the Eyes of the Papuan Community.” The paper was based on research conducted by Chenny and Anggia under the supervision of Sartika Intaning Pradhani, S.H., M.H., with funding from the Research and Publication Unit of the Faculty of Law, Universitas Gadjah Mada. Their research explored education in Papua and was conducted as part of the second period of the Community Service Program (Kuliah Kerja Nyata/KKN) in East Sentani.
For Chenny and Anggia, the conference provided an opportunity for academic discussion among participants from various professional backgrounds. They were the only participants who were undergraduate students. Through the experience, they gained valuable insights into development in Eastern Indonesia, particularly from an anthropological perspective. They hope that their publication will encourage the government to shift its approach to developing education policies in Papua from a top-down to a bottom-up model, one that requires a deeper understanding of the socio-cultural perspectives and values embedded within Papuan communities.
