DEPOK, June 22, 2026
The Department of Communication Studies, Graduate Program of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), University of Indonesia, will hold a hybrid doctoral defense in Communication Studies on Monday, June 22, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.00 WIB at the Juwono Sudarsono Auditorium (AJS), Building F, 2nd Floor, FISIP UI Campus, Depok. This doctoral defense was chaired by Prof. Dr. Drs. Dody Prayogo, MPST. The dissertation was supervised by Prof. Dr. Billy K. Sarwono and Dr. Camelia Catharina as the supervisor and co-supervisor, respectively. The examination committee consisted of Prof. Dr. Widodo Muktiyo, Prof. Dr. Ricardi Adnan, Dr. Nina Mutmainnah, and Dr. Hendriyani.
During the defense, Akhmad Rosihan successfully defended his dissertation titled “Mundane Spaces Collaborative Model: Culture-Based Health Communication (A Case Study of the COVID-19 Pandemic Response Among the Ulu Ogan Malay Community, Ogan Komering Ulu Regency, South Sumatra).” This dissertation examines the health communication practices of the Ulu Ogan Malay community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, placing culture, everyday spaces, and community agency at the center of the analysis.
In his academic address, Akhmad emphasized the importance of trust as the foundation of health communication. “This research shows that in many cases, successful health communication does not stem from the loudest voice, but from the most trusted relationship,” said Akhmad. In the context of the Ulu Ogan Malay community, formal communication from the government is not always the primary source of health-related meaning and action. Instead, the community demonstrates that health communication actually takes place most effectively in everyday settings, such as small shops, local markets, riverbanks, and mosques.
Akhmad also emphasized that effective health communication cannot be built by ignoring the social infrastructure that communities already possess. “If we want to build effective health communication, we must start by acknowledging that communities already have their own infrastructure, agency, and spaces,” he explained. This dissertation resulted in the Mundane Spaces Collaborative Model (MSCM), a culturally-based participatory health communication model that integrates three main pillars: the Culture-Centered Approach, spatial theory, and the Genealogy of the Mundane.
Theoretically, this study contributes to the development of health communication research by broadening our understanding of community agency, participation, and culturally-based communication spaces. In practical terms, this research offers a framework that can be used by the government, health workers, and policymakers to design health communication strategies that are more contextual, participatory, and sensitive to local cultures. At the end of the defense, Akhmad Rosihan was declared to have passed with the grade “Very Satisfactory.” With this graduation, Akhmad officially earned the 165th Doctor of Communication degree from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Indonesia. (MAP)
