The world community has been dealing with the cases of the COVID-19 pandemic for a year now, where almost no country can avoid the spread of this disease or is declared free from the COVID-19 pandemic, including Indonesia. As a result, many aspects of life inevitably have to face the impact of this pandemic, including the field of education.
This pandemic situation has forced most of the learning processes (schools, colleges, and universities) to be conducted at home to avoid crowds, direct and face-to-face contact. Learning activities, lectures, research and academic discourse are also limited only through virtual (online) communication.
On the other hand, humanitarian and social issues are even more complex when this pandemic hits. Health, economic, socio-cultural and other issues seem to add to the complexity of the problems we are facing during this COVID-19 pandemic time.
Advances in modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the presence of virtual communication media, and various new communication media application devices have become a “new escape” to deal with communication obstacles during the COVID-19 pandemic. The necessity of avoiding crowds and direct physical communication has made many people to switch to modern communication media.
Online learning from home, online lectures, academic dissemination and discussion in virtual communication systems, etc have become part of the new normal. Many people who were previously indifferent to modern communication technology have no choice but to learn, master and be literate of communication media. Because only then, life activities can run and communication and social interaction can still be carried out, including in the world of education.
The COVID-19 pandemic with its accompanying socio-economic and humanitarian crisis issues demands a major role in the academic world to respond appropriately and wisely, especially among higher educational institutions, and in particular Islamic Religious Colleges (PTKIN). PTKINs with their various academic roles, scientific products, research and studies are expected to continue to make a real contribution to solving human problems today.
PTKINs are expected to be able to take a role in responding to various complex social problems of humanity and science at this time, especially in responding to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic situation which has hit the world for a year. This is where the urgency of academic activities such as this conference to address and respond to various issues of humanitarian crisis and science during the COVID-19 pandemic through the “Borneo Undergraduate Academic Forum” (BUAF) as a medium for scientific dissemination and conference.
Genap satu tahun masyarakat dunia dihadapkan dengan kasus pandemic covid-19. Dimana hampir tidak ada satu negarapun di belahan dunia ini yang bisa menghindar dari penyebaran kasus ini dan dinyatakan terbebas dari pandemi covid-19, termasuk Indonesia. Akibatnya, banyak aspek kehidupan yang mau tidak mau harus merasakan imbas dari keadaan pandemic ini, termasuk dunia pendidikan.
Situasi pandemi ini telah memaksa sebagian besar proses pembelajaran (sekolah dan perguruan tinggi) harus dirumahkan guna menghindari kerumunan, kontak langsung dan tatap muka. Aktivitas pembelajaran, perkuliahan, penelitian dan diskursus akademik juga dibatasi hanya melalui komunikasi virtual (online).
Di sisi lain, persoalan kemanusiaan dan sosial kemasyarakatan justru semakin komplek terjadi di saat pandemi ini melanda. Persoalan kesehatan, ekonomi, sosial budaya dan lain-lain seakan menjadi penyempurna terhadap kompleksitas permasalahn kita hadapi di masa pandemi covid-19.
Kemajuan Teknologi Informasi dan Komunikasi (TIK) modern, kehadiran media komunikasi virtual, dan berbagai perangkat aplikasi media komunikasi baru (new media) menjadi sebuah “pelarian baru” untuk mengatasi kendala komunikasi masa pandemic covid-19. Kemestian menghindari kerumunan dan komunikasi langsung secara fisikal, membuat banyak orang (terpaksa-dipaksa) beralih ke media komunikasi modern.
Pembelajaran online dari rumah, perkuliahan daring, desiminasi dan diskusi akademik dalam system komunikasi virtual dan sebagainya. Banyak orang yang sebelumnya acuh dengan teknologi komunikasi modern, hari ini terpaksa-dipaksa belajar, menguasai dan melek terhadap media komunikasi. Karena hanya dengan demikian, aktivitas hidup bisa berjalan, komunikasi dan interaksi sosial kemanusiaan masih terus bisa dilakukan, termasuk dalam dunia pendidikan.
Pandemi covid-19 dengan berbagai persoalan social ekonomi dan kemanusiaan yang menyertainya, menuntut peran besar dunia akademik untuk mampu menyikapinya dengan baik dan bijak, terutama di kalangan Perguruan Tinggi, dan khususnya Perguruan Tinggi Keagamaan Islam (PTKIN). PTKIN dengan berbagai peran akademisnya, produk keilmuan, riset dan kajiannya diharapkan tetap mampu memberikan sumbangsih nyata bagi penyelesaian persoalan kemanusiaan hari ini.
PTKIN diharapkan mampu mengambil peran lebih dan nyata dalam menjawab berbagai permasalahan social kemanusiaan dan ilmu pengetahuan yang komplek saat ini, terutama dalam menyikapi dampak situasi pandemi covid-19 yang sudah genap satu tahun melanda dunia. Disinilah urgensinya kegiatan akademis semacam konferensi ini untuk menyikapi dan merespon berbagai persoalan kemanusiaan dan ilmu pengetahuan di masa pandemic covid-19 melalui sebuah wadah desiminasi dan konferensi “Borneo Undergraduate Academic Forum” (BUAF).