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Gadjah Mada University
The First International Conference
On Knowledge and Values
Methodological Explorations of the
Encounters of Science, Religion and Local Culture
16, 17 December 2011
Hosted by:
UGM 62nd Anniversary Committee,
UGM Graduate School,
Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies (CRCS)
Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS)
Background
Knowledge and values are often imagined to be two separate, non-interacting realms. The idea of knowledge in the modern world is dominated by (empirical) scientific perspective, from which that idea of separation is engendered (which justifies the separation). While the growth of such knowledge has revolutionized our understanding and expanded our cognitive horizons, most of the time it also marginalized questions about values. For one, empirical science does not exhaust all that can be known and while its method is proven to be very capable to deal with certain kinds of phenomena, it may not work as well to address other phenomena in which separation of values and knowledge is not as strict. In general, any knowledge carries with it certain presuppositions, from the choice of the problem, the methodology down to its applications.
This conference seeks to identify modes of relations of knowledge and values, trying especially to find a space for a meaningful engagement between science, religion and local culture. As can be seen in many parts of the world, while the globalizing of science is unavoidable, at the same time religious and spiritual traditions are also undergoing revitalization; in the Indonesian context, local culture is another source of knowledge and values.
There has been awareness of the tension as well as attempts to address this tension constructively in the academia. The main objective of this conference is, however, not to explore theories on knowledge and values, but more to tap into the experiences of the scholars who have been dealing with the tension in their works.
The Main speakers of the conference represent a wide spectrum of disciplines, including natural sciences and technology, social sciences and humanities, as well as economics. We ask the speakers to consider question such as: what values, if any, operate in or affeect your work? Reflecting on your scholary experience, are there tensions between your value commitmens and scholarship? How do you deal with the tensions?
Participants of this conference, mainly students and scholars are expected to learn about conceptual issues that underlie the tension between their academic works and the question of values, and further learn from the scholars about ways to deal with the tension for the development of their own scholarly works. The conference is expected to focus on Indonesian and Asian context, but will also include scholars and participants from the US, Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.
Main Speakers:
· Cultural Sciences: Prof. Dr. Heddy Shri Ahimsa Putra (Gadjah Mada University)
· Social sciences: Prof. Dr. Adam Seligman (Boston University)
· Religious studies: Prof. Dr. Mark Woodward (Arizona State University, Visiting Professor, CRCS-UGM)
· Economics: Prof. Dr. Emil Salim (Former Mininster of Environement, University of Indonesia)
· Natural science: Prof. Dr. Nidhal Guessoum (American University of Sharjah, UAE)
· Natural science: Prof. Dr. Etty Indriarti (Gadjah Mada University)
· Natural sciences: Prof. Umar Anggara Jenie (Gadjah Mada University)
Participants
Invited guests, academicians, researchers and students in Indonesia and neighboring Southeast Asian countries
Date and Place
The conference will be held on December 16 and 17, 2011 in the Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Registration
This conference includes a registration fee. The fees are as follow:
Participants:
IDR 100.000 (UGM)
IDR 150.000 (non UGM)
Facilities
The organizers will provide the seminar kits, certificates, coffee breaks and lunch.
For more detailed information please contact the Organizing Committe:
Elis Z. Anis (elis@ugm.ac.id, elis236.andri@yahoo.com, +62 274 562570,
+62 8122727746)
Isnani (pusatmediasiugm@yahoo.co.id,
+62 81392494254)
click Here for download Form of Registration
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