Voicing Innovation on the Global Stage: How the International Office Equips AsiaCALL 2025 MCs to Communicate UINSSC’s Epistemological Leadership in Multisensory and Embodied Language Learning
Cirebon, November 8, 2025 – Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D., Director of the International Office of UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon, held a focused briefing session with the two designated Masters of Ceremony for the AsiaCALL International Conference 2025: Diah Ayu, S.Sos., and Yusi Selmi, S.H. The meeting centered on articulating the deeper academic identity of UINSSC as the only Islamic University in Indonesia grounded in Multisensory CALL. Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. explained that the conference is hosted at UINSSC precisely because of this unique epistemological foundation, which integrates spatial cognition, embodied creativity, and multisensory engagement into English language learning. He emphasized that the MCs must move beyond conventional event hosting and instead communicate how the university offers a tangible, innovative model for reimagining language education. Their role is to ensure the audience understands that UINSSC brings something distinct to the global academic table. AsiaCALL’s presence in Cirebon reflects a deliberate alignment with this vision. The conference, he clarified, must not be treated as a ceremonial gathering but as a platform for intellectual advancement.
Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. noted that Prof. Andrew Lian will deliver a one-hour presentation that is expected to encapsulate decades of transformative thought in English language teaching. This moment represents a pivotal transition in the field and aligns with UINSSC’s commitment to advancing deep learning beyond grammatical structures. The MCs were instructed to frame this segment as a scholarly milestone that signals a shift toward new paradigms in language education. The AsiaCALL International Conference 2025, in this context, serves as both a tribute and a launchpad for future-oriented pedagogy. UINSSC’s participation underscores its ambition to become not just a participant in global discourse but a recognized hub for epistemological innovation in applied linguistics.
Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. also reminded the MCs that although AsiaCALL has seen significant growth in Vietnam, the Cirebon edition must assert its own intellectual contribution. He pointed to UINSSC’s sustained engagement since 2017 and its formal collaboration with ELT Echo since 2023 as evidence of long-term scholarly commitment. Published podcasts and workshops have already laid the groundwork for chapters, books, and further research, demonstrating how ideas evolve through consistent intellectual collaboration. The MCs were encouraged to highlight this trajectory during the conference, showing how academic output at UINSSC is part of a living, expanding ecosystem. Indonesia, he noted, stands as the most active contributor to the Multisensory CALL framework, and this event is an opportunity to showcase that leadership. Their delivery should reflect continuity, purpose, and academic maturity.
The cyber-based institutional identity of UINSSC was presented not as a technical feature but as an epistemological choice. Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. explained that the university’s model offers knowledge that is spatially integrated, sensorially activated, and deeply cognitive. This approach challenges conventional language teaching methods that have become outdated. While such innovation may not be immediately embraced by all, he affirmed that advancing new knowledge often requires disrupting established norms. The AsiaCALL has played a significant role in shaping his own development as a scholar committed to change, and hosting the conference allows UINSSC to give back to the global community that nurtured this vision. The MCs were advised to ensure their opening and closing remarks form a unified narrative that begins with curiosity and concludes with scholarly conviction.
Global recognition remains central to the conference’s identity. Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. instructed the MCs to explicitly mention AsiaCALL’s official presence in Texas, United States, as a marker of its institutional legitimacy and international reach. The event is not a local academic gathering with foreign guests; it is part of a worldwide scholarly movement with Cirebon as its 2025 focal point. Their language must convey institutional pride without exaggeration, focusing instead on the concrete contributions UINSSC has made to the field. Every segment they deliver should reinforce the message that this conference advances knowledge through innovation, collaboration, and intellectual courage. Their presence on stage carries the responsibility of representing not just an event, but an emerging academic tradition rooted in Indonesia.
Before concluding the session, Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. shared a guiding statement for the MCs to carry into their preparation: “We are here to tell the world that we are offering something new, something born from Cirebon, refined through global collaboration, and ready to transform how language is learned, felt, and lived.” This message, he emphasized, should inform every word they speak during the conference. The AsiaCALL 2025 International Conference represents a defining moment for UIN SSC’s global academic identity. Through the voices of Diah Ayu, S.Sos. and Yusi Selmi, S.H. the university will present its vision with clarity, confidence, and scholarly integrity to an international audience.
Author: Resa Diah Gayatri