In this globalization era, inequalities and cultural shock is an everyday life. The dynamics of social life and cultural development often are not followed with cultural literacy and sufficient knowledge in the society. This results in many problems regarding cultural literacy and cultural shock, affecting our lives.

Regarding this problem, as a faculty that focused on cultural problems, the Faculty of Adab and Cultural Sciences UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta held an International Conference. This conference accommodated and communicated research about cultural literacy and the development of cultural sciences, from the local, national, and international levels. The international conference named AICONIS (Adab-International Conference on Information and Cultural Sciences) was held online, on October 19-22, 2020.

In the middle of the conference, The Head of Public Relations, Dean of Faculty of Adab and Cultural Sciences, Dr. Muhammad Wildan explained that this international conference is held once a year, the second time being this one. The conference focused on four scientific fields that are the cores of the faculty, which are Arabic Language and Literature, History of Islamic Culture, Library Science, and English Literature. This conference is expected to create synergy between those majors, especially about Cultural Literacy, Language, History, and Information. The goal of this conference is to give a knowledge overview of research trends that have a global perspective to exchange knowledge about information, knowledge, history, and science. The targets to be achieved as the output indicator is improvement of the distribution of knowledge in research results and the formation of joint research between nations.

According to Dr. Muhammad Wildan, this agenda is presenting academics and practitioners in cultural sciences to participate in this event as audiences or as participants. All participants and presenters do not need to pay for registration fee and will get an e-certificate.

The professional international figures from many other countries that came as interviewees are Prof. Midhat al-Jayyar (Zagazig University, Egypt), Prof. Chawki Bouanani (El-Manar University, Tunisia), Jordan Newton (AIPJ), Prof. Azyumardi Azra (UIN Syarif Hidayatullah, Indonesia), Dr. Putu Laxman Pendit (RMIT University, Australia), Joseph Marmol Yap, M.LIS (Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan), Dr. David Caldwell (University of South Australia), and Dr. Muh Arif Rokhman (Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia). Furthermore, there are also speakers from UIN Sunan Kalijaga such as Prof. Dudung Abdurrahman, Dr. Zamzam Afandi, Dr. Nurul Hak, Dr. Yulia Nasrul Latifi, Labibah Zain, M.LIS, Marwiyah, M.LIS, Fuad Arif Fudiyanto, Ph.D(c), and Dr. Danial Hidayatullah.

Carrying the theme of Globalization & Humanities: Making Sense of Islamic Culture in the Contemporary World, AICONICS 2020 just like its previous year, is still focused on four clusters of scientific fields, which are Arabic Language and Literature (BSA), History of Islamic Culture (SKI), Library Science (IP), and English Literature (SI). There are topics for each clusters, which are Current Development of Arabic Language and Literary Studies (BSA), Moderation of Islam in Indonesia (SKI), Library Studies in the Multicultural Society (IP), dan Rethinking Globalization in English Studies (SI). The topics that are discussed this time are very relevant with contemporary global Muslim community. AICONICS is expected to accommodate and contribute ideas from the experts to answer global problems, added Wildan.

Rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Prof. Dr. Phil. Al Makin in his welcoming speech said that this is the time for Indonesia to be the direction of world Islamic studies. To date, the direction of Islamic studies around the world is still from scholars and experts from the Middle East. Although the majority of Indonesian citizens are Muslims, Indonesia still needs to work harder to be the center of world Islamic studies. The seminar themes of The 2nd AICONICS are pretty significant to raise the Islamic ‘face’ of Indonesia globally. UIN Sunan Kalijaga has already made efforts from many lines including research activities, journals, and cooperations with many parties. “Let’s keep manifesting the slogan UIN Sunan Kalijaga untuk Bangsa dan UIN Sunan Kalijaga Mendunia (UIN Sunan Kalijaga for the nation and UIN Sunan Kalijaga for the world) in every academic development agendas in this campus, like this The 2nd AICONICS”, said Prof. Al makin.

Representing the AICONICS committee, Dr. Witriani as the vice chairwoman extended her gratitude to the participants, invited speakers, and the committees. All the attending scientists and practitioners have already given their precious contributions, especially in cultural sciences. This time, through AICONICS, the public can not only listen to the presentations during the conference, but also read them from the conference outcome through international proceedings. Not only international proceedings, the conference outcome will also be journal articles. Some of the journals will publish the participants’ papers such as Sunan Kalijaga International Journal of Islamic Civilization; Adabiyyat: Journal of Language and Literature; Thaqafiyyat: Journal of Language, Civilization and Islamic Information; dan Fihris: Journal of Library and Information Science. (Thoriq/Weni)