Semarang – Dr. Sherly Haristya is one of speaker for the The public lecture held by the Department of Communication Science with the theme “Science and Research in Communication Industry” last Wednesday (18/11) . Sherly currently works as an Affiliate Researcher for the TIFA Foundation and Freedom House, is a graduate of the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

Sherly has an analogy that everyone can talk, but what points everyone wants to convey is different. Do you want to voice something that is not important or something that is important and has weight, for example relating to social problems.

“I have an analogy, we can all speak, but we are confused about what to say. So there is a different weight when we can write or speak in public, but what is the weight of the depth that we convey,” said Sherly.

Why is research important?

While studying at NTU Singapore, Sherly brought anxiety over the understanding of many people in Indonesia who think theory or research is something that is remote, as if it is just something oblivious and unreal. Then Sherly told how the professor who was also her supervisor answered her anxiety which had grown for a long time.

“My supervisor, Professor Ang Peng Hwa, said that good research and theory is research and theory that can answer the needs of everyday life, when we can write a scientific journal article, actually it is our opportunity to have a dialogue with other researchers,” said Sherly.

Furthermore, Sherly said that for her research is like a puzzle that fosters a habit of thinking and curiosity to complete the research systematically so that it becomes good research by synchronizing the pieces.

Sherly also said that research has fostered a culture of critical and logical thinking which should have been instilled in each individual in everyday life.

“Lessons on research have been ingrained with me in the form of critical thinking and logical thinking,” he said.

Sherly added that research is needed to bring voices from the public with reliable data. Voices that do not include evidence will also not be heard. This is where research is needed to bring a credible voice.

The Importance of Research in Policy

At the end of her presentation, Sherly also shared her experience in discussing with the Ministry of Communication and Informatics. The Ministry of Communications previously claimed that Indonesia’s Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill is similar to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). GDPR itself is a law of the European Union that regulates the protection of personal data inside and outside the European Union.

Sherly conducted research on the PDP Bill with colleagues at the TIFA Foundation. TIFA Foundation is an organization that promotes the creation of an open society. From this research, they found a number of gaps that were considered inappropriate with their claims. Sherly and TIFA in the end succeeded in voicing the results of their research accompanied by data and evidence even though they had arguments with the Ministry of Communication

“Without the research we have done, it would not be possible for the Ministry of Communication to see clear evidence and want to hear what we have to say,” she concluded.

Complete material by Dr. Sherly Haristya above can be watched via a re-broadcast on the Youtube page of the FISIP Undip Official.

Writer: Sekar Ajeng Rengganis