Nowadays, people are being challenged to communicate more effectively, interpersonally, and interculturally in groups as the world where people live in has grown more global and culturally varied. The impact of communication in a diverse environment affects productivity and overall performance in our daily life especially in education, organization, and etc. Considering the crucial aspects on this topic today, University Al-Azhar Indonesia (UAI), Collegium Civitas, Poland (CC), and Universiti Teknologi Mara Malaysia (UiTM) would like to take parts in advancing it in higher education with the communication’s perspectives in an international seminar: Communication, Diversity, and its Trivial: A Dialogue among Poland, Malaysia, and Indonesia (I). The event was held in room 317 A-B, 3rd floor of UAI on Thursday (3/8).
On the occasion, Dr. Heri Herdiawanto, S.Pd., M.Si. expressed his thanks to CC and UiTM for being able to participate in this event during his opening remarks. Communication has become a crucial role in our society as it is the process of understanding information. Having this moment to share with and discuss to the younger generation as in his faculty he currently has International Relations and Communication departments here in UAI would be the foundation for them as parts of the community of communication.
Dr. Paweł Maranowski (Vice-rector for Student Affairs of CC) delivered a topic about Communicating in a Culturally Diverse Society. As he concerns the competencies that are related to communication will be important today in a changing world (more internationalized), but it is his belief that they will be limited by authoritarian and dogmatic attitudes as this is also his thesis’s topic. However, in Poland there are new challenges for cross-cultural communication that are currently facing by its people. One of the highlights is the changes in the scope of migration in quantitative background in 2022. 13.5 million people entered Poland (the vast majority being refugees from Ukraine fleeing the war), Poland has issued 610,999 visas for foreigners, and 365,490 work permits were issued for foreigners. In response to this, Dr. Paweł emphasized that the need of cross-cultural communication is very significant. It can help the adequate and effective communication of people from different cultures (realization of communication objectives). Thus, he stated that cross-cultural communication can be described as the interpersonal exchange of information and interactive exchange of meanings manifested in the form of words, gestures, looks, facial expressions, colors, images (Komor 2010).
In the same way, Dr. Tengku Elena Tengku Mahamad (Senior Lecturer at Faculty of Communication and Media Studies at UiTM) emphasized Communication and Diversity in Organization. She elaborated that diversity comes in many different forms in organisations. Gender roles, race, different culture groups, religion, age, and language are represented in diverse workplaces. As she is growing up being exposed to multiple languages, religion, and cultures, it makes her feel grounded, respect other cultures even more, she has a greater understanding of other people’s beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours, and so much more. Furthermore, she delivered that the workplace today is changing. The way people do things are changing with all the technologies available out there to ease the process of our work. Organisational staff are also changing whereby many organisations are increasingly hiring those from different backgrounds. The way they are raised, the way they think, the way they make decisions, may be different from what we are used to. Nevertheless, she concluded that communication is the key. Challenges of communication in a diverse workplace are common, but it is solvable. It is important for people to learn how to communicate the right way with people from diverse backgrounds, especially with the people you deal with in the workplace.
Apart from that, Yuherina Gusman S. IP, M.A., PhD (Senior lecturer at International Relations Department of UAI) explained about the Future of Digital Diplomacy in International Relations. According to her, digital diplomacy refers to the broad use of technology, particularly the internet and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) which are based on innovations in the conduct of diplomacy (Adesina, 2022). There are two phases in digital diplomacy which are phase one is digital adaptation (external) and phase two is digital adoption (internal). They also have their wave such as the first is the Arab spring, the second is Russia and Asia, and the third one is Covid-19 pandemic which is experienced by all of the people around the globe. The new innovation that have appeared today after third wave is that everyone can have online meeting, blended/hybrid learning, onsite/psychical meeting, web debate, etc. As she refers to Corneliu Bjola and Ilan Manor (2022), 105 diplomats are representing about 30 countries around the world’s diplomacy and they are still in the process of digital adaptation from hybrid diplomacy to a new method. It could actually constitute a new phase in diplomacy, in which the digital does not compete with or replace offline diplomacy, but rather augments it.
“Communication is art to me and by knowing who you are talking to (what is their background, ethnicity, culture, and so on will make you have a wise communication”.
Yuherina Gusman S. IP, M.A., PhD
During the discussion, there were some questions that were asked by the students. Some of the highlights are; how to avoid those who force things such as culture and dogma on us which they have become the roots for us since our childhood? (Indah K, Student of Communication Department); How to communicate wisely especially in organization of student union in every university? (Romsee, PSU Exchange Student at UAI) ; The role of communication in the recent issue in Malaysia of a band who is banned by its government? (Radya Cantika, Student of Arab Language and Culture).
In short, the moderator, Muchammad Nasucha, S.S., M.Si. (Functional Staff at OIA UAI and Senior Lecturer at the Communication Department of UAI), sums up that communication can be said as the answer of everything in our diverse place. As examples, it solved the challenges that have happened in Poland, it helped someone who lives in multiple backgrounds and organizations, and most importantly it takes a part in improving digital diplomacy today. Additionally, the event was ended by souvenirs and certificates hand-over to the speakers in appreciation of their contribution to support this event as well as the partnerships that have been going well since a long time ago between the three universities. (TSH)