Strengthening the Internationalization of the PBSI Study Program, FITK UIN Jakarta Presents Timo Duile from the University of Bonn
Ciputat, UIN Online News – The Indonesian Language and Literature Education (PBSI) Study Program, Faculty of Educational Sciences (FITK), UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, hosted a Guest Lecture titled “Literary and Ecological Studies: Plural Ecologies in Indonesian Literature” on Tuesday (September 22, 2026), at the 3rd Floor Theater, FITK Building, UIN Jakarta.
The event featured Dr. Timo Duile, a research fellow from the Department of Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Bonn, Germany. The guest lecture integrated literary and ecological studies to explore the relationships between human and non-human entities within Indonesian literature.
The session was opened by Salamah Agung, Ph.D., Vice Dean for Student Affairs and Cooperation, FITK UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. In her opening address, Salamah welcomed Dr. Timo Duile and underscored the vital role of international scholars in building an academic ecosystem receptive to global collaboration. The presence of Dr. Timo Duile as a visiting fellowship researcher is expected to serve as a catalyst for sustained international partnerships with the PBSI Study Program.
This collaboration aims to facilitate the exchange of ideas, promote joint research endeavors, and expand academic networks between UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta and global institutions.
Following her remarks, Dr. Ahmad Bahtiar, M.Hum., Head of the Indonesian Language and Literature Education Study Program, addressed the audience. Dr. Bahtiar highlighted the importance of advancing interdisciplinary literary studies within the student curriculum. In his view, literature should not be interpreted strictly through traditional literary frameworks, but should intersect with various academic fields to yield broader analytical perspectives.
The methodology employed by Dr. Timo Duile serves as a prime example of reading literary works through an interdisciplinary lens. Drawing from an anthropological background, Dr. Duile examines literary works not merely as aesthetic texts, but as platforms for understanding societal perspectives on humanity, fauna, nature, belief systems, and social transformations. This analytical perspective offers PBSI students an opportunity to explore the intersections of literature with anthropology, ecology, history, sociology, and other disciplines.
Transitioning to the presentation session, Indah Fadhilla, M.Hum., from UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, served as the first speaker, presenting her paper titled “Allegorical Dynamics in Eka Kurniawan’s Novel O: Human-Animal Relations as a Critique of Humanity.” Her presentation built upon her published study in Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya, examining how the relationships between human and animal characters serve as an allegorical strategy to interrogate the meaning of humanity.
In the novel *O*, the juxtaposition between humans and animals is established through four shared names appearing simultaneously across both human and animal characters: O, Entang Kosasih, Wulandari, and Betalumur. This shared nomenclature creates a reflective space to compare character traits, actions, language, emotions, and life motives across species.
Through this structural pattern, the novel O deploys allegorical dynamics that invert conventional assumptions regarding humans and animals. Several animal characters exhibit empathy, loyalty, and compassion traditionally associated with human virtues. Conversely, certain human characters display violence, predatory behavior, and actions driven by instinctual impulses. This juxtaposition highlights two pivotal movements: being human and becoming animal.
The novel O calls into question the essence of humanity, as acts of intervention and help are carried out by animals, while humans—who ought to embody care—appear merely as passive onlookers.
Through these allegorical dynamics, the boundary between human and animal is no longer presented as a simple binary. Humanity is defined not merely by physical embodiment, but by actions and empathy toward others. The convergence of human-like empathy in animals and animalistic instincts in humans ultimately serves as a critique of human beings who have lost their empathy, loyalty, and humanitarian spirit.
Following Indah Fadhilla's presentation, the session continued with a presentation by Dr. Timo Duile concerning human and non-human relations in Indonesian literature through the lens of plural ecologies, specifically comparing Mochtar Lubis’s *Harimau! Harimau!* (Tiger! Tiger!) and Eka Kurniawan’s Lelaki Harimau (Man Tiger).
Dr. Duile introduced his talk by emphasizing the relevance of ecological perspectives in literary analysis. Literature can be read not only as a social mirror, but as a framework for understanding complex relationships among humans, animals, nature, beliefs, and social change. This perspective is vital because ecological crises can also be understood as crises of discourse and shifts in how societies construct relationships with the world around them.
The concept of plural ecologies demonstrates that any given ecology encompasses specific concepts regarding entities and their interconnectedness. Ecology extends beyond physical nature into social practices: a society may recognize, attend to, ignore, or deny the existence of particular entities.
In his analysis of Mochtar Lubis’s Harimau! Harimau!, Dr. Duile illustrated competing ecological worldviews. The tiger can be interpreted as a wild animal, as a central figure in animistic beliefs, or as a symbol of human fear and internal conflict. Ultimately, these varied interpretations converge toward a unified ecological perspective. Consequently, the novel can be read as a transition from ecological pluralism toward ecological monism. In contrast, Eka Kurniawan’s Lelaki Harimau preserves a plurality of meanings surrounding the tiger, serving as an exemplar of plural ecologies.
The reading of Harimau! Harimau! also reveals a shift from animism toward a scientific-Islamic humanism. The narrative presents a tension among mystical beliefs, modern worldviews, and the biological understanding of the tiger. Initially, the tiger carries multiple layers of meaning: as a creature sent by God, as an embodiment of mystical forces, or as a physical predator. As the story progresses, the tiger comes to symbolize internal human fears, anger, and vengeance.
Turning to Eka Kurniawan’s Lelaki Harimau, Dr. Duile analyzed the tiger's complex role within the narrative. The tiger functions as a protective force assisting the protagonist, Margio, while simultaneously acting as an volatile entity. It can also be interpreted as a symbol of threat tied to deforestation and environmental degradation driven by New Order-era development policies. Conversely, the law enforcement figures within the novel fail to recognize the tiger as an agent. This divergence of perspectives illustrates that interpretations of non-human entities are inextricably bound to the ecological frameworks humans use to decipher reality.
The convergence of both presentations generated a discussion on the intersections of literature, anthropology, ecology, and humanity. Indah Fadhilla's allegorical reading illustrated how literature can disrupt hierarchical boundaries between humans and animals, questioning conventional criteria used to define humanity. Meanwhile, the plural ecologies perspective offered by Dr. Timo Duile expanded this discourse by demonstrating that human and non-human relationships are shaped by diverse knowledge systems, beliefs, social practices, and ecological transformations.
The guest lecture concluded with an interactive Q&A session addressing topics such as animism, modernity, environmental change, human-non-human dynamics, and the capacity of literature to rethink humanity’s place within the broader ecosystem.
This event reinforces the development of interdisciplinary literary studies within the PBSI Study Program, FITK UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. Through the integration of literature, anthropology, and ecological studies, students and faculty are encouraged to view human concerns as inextricably linked to relationships with animals, nature, and the non-human entities that coexist alongside them.
Furthermore, this guest lecture reflects the ongoing commitment of the PBSI Study Program and FITK UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta to enrich the academic atmosphere and cultivate sustainable international collaborations through research fellowships, academic exchanges, joint research initiatives, and interdisciplinary literary scholarship.