UNIPMA – A lecturer from the Indonesian Language and Literature Education Study Program (PBSI), Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP), Universitas PGRI Madiun (UNIPMA), Dr. Kodrat Eko Putro Setiawan, M.Pd., was invited as a speaker at a National Seminar organized by Universitas Muhammadiyah Muara Bungo (UMB) Jambi on Thursday (11/6).

The activity, which was conducted online via Zoom, was attended by students and academics from various regions. The seminar carried the theme “Edutech for Sustainability: Education, Innovation, and Science towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030” as an effort to encourage the development of sustainable education through the utilization of technology, innovation, and the strengthening of academic literacy.

This activity was also part of the implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, particularly in the aspect of community service through educational outreach to the younger generation.

On that occasion, Dr. Kodrat Eko Putro Setiawan, M.Pd., delivered material entitled an ecocritical study of folklore in Ngawi Regency. He explained that literary ecocriticism is an approach that examines the relationship between humans and the natural environment through literary works, including folklore.

According to him, the ecocritical approach can be used to observe how folklore reflects environmental issues, such as environmental destruction, human greed toward natural resources, and local wisdom values in maintaining ecosystem balance.

“Folklore does not only contain cultural and moral values, but also stores ecological messages that are relevant to current environmental conditions,” he said.

The activity took place interactively through discussion and question-and-answer sessions. Seminar participants actively asked questions and shared perspectives regarding the application of ecocritical studies in literary learning and the preservation of local culture.

The enthusiasm shown by participants throughout the activity indicated the high interest of students in literary studies related to environmental and socio-cultural issues.

Through this activity, it is hoped that students will better understand the importance of environmental preservation through literary and cultural approaches. In addition, the activity also served as a contribution from the PBSI Study Program of Universitas PGRI Madiun in expanding academic networks and supporting the development of environmental-based literary literacy and research.

For more complete information regarding campus activities, visit UNIPMA’s official Instagram account at @official_unipma. UNIPMA has also opened new student admissions for the 2025/2026 academic year. Registration for Regular and RPL programs for the 2025/2026 academic year is now open.