Two lecturers from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FISHUM), UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Dr. Diah Ajeng Purwani and Dr. Rama Kertamukti, participated as speakers in the Sync & Sanity: International Symposium on Digital Well-being, held on Saturday, 16 May 2026, via Zoom. The symposium ran from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM and was organized as a bilingual symposium in English and Bahasa.
According to the event poster and programme book, the symposium was conducted through collaboration among several institutions, namely Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), Malaysian Institute of Information Technology (MIIT), Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, SALWA Selangor, the Association for Creative Culture Industries Researchers (ACCIR), and Wadah Selangor. The event highlighted the shared commitment of these institutions to advancing discussions on digital literacy, mental resilience, and sustainable connectivity in relation to digital well-being.
As stated in the symposium materials, Sync & Sanity was designed as a platform for scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and community advocates to explore issues such as digital literacy, online safety, mental resilience, responsible technology use, and healthy engagement in today’s connected society.
During Plenary Session 1 from 10:00 to 11:00 AM, Dr. Diah Ajeng Purwani delivered a presentation entitled “Muslim Voices on TikTok: Story Telling, Peer Power and Digital Well-being in the Affiliate Era.” The programme book introduces Dr. Diah Ajeng Purwani as a lecturer and researcher at Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga with expertise in communication, particularly in digital empowerment communication, community development, marketing, and public speaking.
Meanwhile, in Plenary Session 3 from 2:00 to 3:00 PM, Dr. Rama Kertamukti presented a paper entitled “Pause Before You Post: Komunikasi Visual, Kesejahteraan Digital, dan Etika Online di Indonesia.” In the programme book, Dr. Rama Kertamukti is described as a lecturer and researcher at Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga with expertise in media studies, cyberculture, new media, visual communication, and digital communication.
In addition to the two FISHUM lecturers, the symposium featured a number of other speakers from various institutions and areas of expertise. In Plenary Session 1, the speakers included Ts. Dr. Juliana Jaafar from Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Institute of Information Technology, who delivered “Beyond the Feed: Algorithm Literacy for a Healthier Digital Society,” and Ms. Hira Ashraf from Universiti Kuala Lumpur, who presented “Exploring Content Polarization and Algorithmic Influence on TikTok Among Malaysian Users.” The same session also featured Dini Farhana Baharudin, PhD from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, who spoke on “Gratitude and Inner Peace in the Digital Era.”
In Plenary Session 2, the symposium hosted Madam Mediha Mahmood, Chief Executive Officer of the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia, who presented “The Feed Is Not Neutral: Digital Well-being in the Age of Algorithmic Influence.” This session also included Prof. Dr. Khairul Anwar @ Johari Mastor from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, as well as Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Sami Salama Hussen Hajjaj from Multimedia University, who delivered “Digital Well-being in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
In Plenary Session 3, alongside Dr. Rama Kertamukti, the symposium featured Assoc. Prof. Dr. Shafizan Mohamed from the International Islamic University Malaysia, who presented “Rethinking How We Protect Children Online in Malaysia,” and Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Nur Izura Udzir from Universiti Putra Malaysia, who delivered “The Impact of Technology on Mental Health.”
In Plenary Session 4, the symposium featured Dr. Kim Ringmar Sylwander from the Digital Futures for Children Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK, together with Associate Professor Dr. Nur Kareelawati Abd Karim from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, who presented “Interns Behind the Screen: Invisible Labour and Digital Well-being in Creative Media Work.” The final session also included Jawahir Che Mustapha, PhD from Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Institute of Information Technology, who delivered “Dari Scroll ke Sedar: Bila ‘Saya Share Je’ Menjadi Tanggungjawab Digital.”
The participation of Dr. Diah Ajeng Purwani and Dr. Rama Kertamukti in this international forum demonstrates FISHUM UIN Sunan Kalijaga’s active contribution to global academic discussions on digital communication, media culture, online ethics, and digital well-being. Their involvement also strengthens the faculty’s position within international academic networks, particularly in relation to strategic issues surrounding communication and social transformation in the digital age.
Through participation in forums such as Sync & Sanity, FISHUM UIN Sunan Kalijaga continues to expand international academic collaboration while enriching research, teaching, and community engagement in response to the challenges of contemporary digital society in a critical, ethical, and human-centered manner.