Indonesia
Dinda Ayu Anggraeni, a student from the Chinese Literature Study Programme at the Faculty of Cultural Studies (FCS) Universitas Brawijaya (UB), has pioneered an innovative approach to digital diplomacy to strengthen the relationship between Indonesia and China. Digital diplomacy is a modern approach to diplomacy, utilising technology and online media to support and extend traditional diplomatic activities.
Dinda developed a virtual field trip for the Eng An Kiong Temple in Malang, a historic site representing Chinese culture in Indonesia. Through this project, Dinda aims to raise public awareness about the Chinese cultural heritage in Indonesia and strengthen bilateral relations through a deeper cultural understanding.
The Eng An Kiong Temple, nearly two centuries old, is a symbol of the rich Chinese culture in Malang. Rudi Phan, the Chairman of the Eng An Kiong Temple Foundation, welcomed this cultural heritage development project. He assisted Dinda in her research by providing deeper insights into the temple and its fascinating aspects. Rudi hopes that this innovation will increase public appreciation for Chinese culture and strengthen bilateral relations through cross-cultural understanding.
By introducing this virtual field trip, Dinda hopes to spread knowledge about the temple and Chinese culture more widely, aligning with the vision of Indonesia Emas 2045, which emphasises the importance of cross-cultural understanding.
The project was developed under the guidance of lecturers Ressi Maulidina Delijar, S.S., M.Li., and Diah Ayu Wulan, M.Pd., and researcher M. Naufal Islam, S.Pd. Validation was carried out by experts such as Rafsanjaya Mahaputra, S.Pd., and M. Naufal Islam, S.Pd., as media validators, Wishnu Mahendra W., S.IP., M.Si., as an international relations expert, and Cahyo Ramadhan Pratama, MTCSOL, as a material validator.
According to Dinda, to achieve the vision of Indonesia Emas 2045 and take advantage of the demographic bonus, the future workforce must be equipped with cross-cultural skills and understanding.
“Lack of cross-cultural understanding can lead to misinterpretations and even cross-cultural conflicts, which can hinder bilateral relations,” she explained.
The results of the research and the development of the virtual field trip media were donated to the Eng An Kiong Temple as a commitment to the sustainability of the project. This media can be accessed directly at the temple or through the Chrome browser via the link bit.ly/engankiong. With this innovation, Dinda hopes that cultural tourism in Malang will become richer and that cross-cultural understanding in Indonesia will increase, ultimately accelerating bilateral relations between Indonesia and China.
This innovation proves that digital diplomacy can be an effective tool in strengthening relations between two countries through more inclusive and profound cultural understanding. Dinda Ayu Anggraeni has demonstrated that technology can be an important bridge in cultural diplomacy. [trans.acl/ed.al/vidya/PR FCS]