Embodying Cultural Preservation: UPH wears Batik for the National Batik Day 2019.

On October 2, 2009, UNESCO gave an official statement to establish Indonesia’s Batik as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Therefore, since then, October 2nd was established as National Batik Day. In order to support the preservation of Indonesian culture, Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) took part in celebrating National Batik Day by encouraging students and staff to wear batik.
The Rector of UPH, Dr. (Hon) Jonathan L. Parapak, M. Eng. Sc., also said that everyone should support all cultural preservation efforts that is done in UPH by all means.

“We should be grateful that we have a national heritage like Batik. Therefore, let us make the national batik day more meaningful by wearing batik today,” said the Rector to everyone in UPH.
Hana Herawati – the Vice Rector in Finance and Administration of UPH also stated her support on the idea.

“The big family of UPH fully supports the National Batik Day as a form of our love for the Indonesia’s national heritage. We have learned about the history of batik in Indonesia which has started since the 17th century and has become an inseparable part of Indonesia’s culture ever since,” said Hana.

Moreover, Hana also sees that the development of batik in Indonesia owns an important position that can be aligned with other world cultural heritage. She also believes that Indonesia should appreciate everyone’s hard work starting from the people who made batik, artists, people who produces, develop, markets batik, all the consumers, and also state officials who has brought and represented batik in the International world.

According to Hana, preserving batik is not just about wearing batik products, we also have to develop this cultural heritage according to our talents and calling. She also believes that Indonesia as a nation, has that artistic soul and immense creativity which can help the development of batik in Indonesia; and also, UPH as an educational institution.

“UPH as a higher education institution has participated actively in developing batik. For example, one of our alumni has designed an institutional (UPH) souvenir in a form of a beautiful batik-patterned wooden box. This is one of our appreciation for the national heritage. Let us all participate actively in thinking about and developing Indonesian batik through our own fields, with our own capacity, for the development and well-being of our beloved nation,” Hana stated.

Some of UPH’s alumni have their own ways to participate in the preservation of batik. One of them, Ryan Maneka Hinze, a young entrepreneur and also an alumnus of UPH Management 2007, admitted that his interest in batik had encouraged him to collect batik – starting from printed, stamped, and also handmade batik. Finally, Ryan decided to start his own business in batik in 2017 and called his business Batik Royal Mahapraja.

“Batik is Indonesia’s noble heritage that has to be preserved. Batik is not just a regular cloth, each of its pattern contains a philosophy. Moreover, each pattern also contains a prayer. For example, one of the most popular patterns is KAWUNG – it portrays the four cardinal points which symbolizes a solid foundation, and hopefully, the people who wear it will humble, and have his ways be eased,” Ryan stated.

Ryan started Batik Royal Mahapraja by gathering batik suppliers in Pekalongan and even until now, he is still amazed by batik.

“For me, batik is a walking panting and the artist who made it becomes the factor which determines the price of a batik fabric. Personally, I really hope that young generation, the millennials, are able to understand this and try to preserve batik by using it. Do not forget to purchase authentic handmade batik as the original identity of previous batik artists. Nowadays, batik has more interesting patterns, it does not have to be old school, some of the new patterns have been modified as time passed. Purchasing a handmade batik can become a part of our participation in preserving batik. I also appreciate millennials who have shown their awareness about this issue,” Ryan explained.

Aside from showing our appreciation for Indonesian culture, through its Student Life Department (@studentlifeuph), UPH encourages communities to share their spirit of appreciation for batik through Instagram. Through this simple method – uploading a batik-themed photo with an interesting caption, they will have the opportunity to win some interesting souvenirs from Pelita Shop. By means of this encouragement, UPH hopes that the academic community of UPH, lecturers, staffs, and also students, will raise their awareness on preserving batik. (mt)