Auditorium of Prof. Dr. Suwito, MA SPs UIN Jakarta, SPs NEWS – The Graduate School (SPs) of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta held the 1692nd Doctoral Promotion Exam in the Auditorium Room of Prof. Dr. Suwito, MA on Friday, July 17, 2026 with promovenda Kartika Sari.

Kartika Sari is a student of the Doctoral program in Islamic Studies with a concentration in Islamic History and Civilization. His dissertation is entitled "The Construction of Bangka Malay Identity in Social Change in the Contemporary Period".

This study dissects how the Bangka Malay community knitted, maintained, and negotiated their cultural identity in the midst of the onslaught of modernization and massive social change.

Through an interdisciplinary approach that combines historical science and anthropology, Kartika applies the historical ethnography method  . He traces chronologically the time span from 1957 to 2024 to see how the identity was formed, transformed, and survived from generation to generation.

The main focus of this research is directed at the initial process of the formation of Bangka Malay identity, especially how these dynamics shifted when entering the Reform era. Kartika observes the triangular relationship between people's collective memory, daily life practices, and historical narratives in shaping resilience as well as the potential for fragmentation of identity divisions.

To get valid and rich data, Kartika directly went into conducting field research on Bangka Island. He collects past track records through historical archives and official documents, as well as delves into social realities through in-depth interviews, participant observations, and oral histories from community leaders.

The data analysis process is also carried out in a strict and layered manner, ranging from source criticism and historical interpretation, to thematic coding and narrative analysis. Through data triangulation techniques and critical analysis, this study succeeded in unraveling the tangled threads of local cultural development objectively and scientifically.

The results of the study show that the identity of the Bangka Malay is not something instantaneous, but the result of a long acculturation of the local community with Malay immigrants from Malacca and Riau. The harmonious relationship with the ethnic Chinese, strengthened by the foundation of Islamic values, local wisdom, and the collective experience of the colonial period, also formed their unique character.

In the post-independence period until the end of the New Order (1957–1998), state policy intervention, ethnic migration patterns, and mining economic structures became the main driving forces. These factors then gave birth to the character of the Bangka Malay community which is known to be egalitarian, moderate, and very open to social plurality.

Entering the Reform era to the present day (1999–2024), new challenges have arisen along with the presence of decentralization, globalization, extractive industries, and the explosion of digital media. Interestingly, this change actually encourages the younger generation to revitalize Malay identity through strengthening customary institutions, cultural symbols, and creative representation in cyberspace.

In conclusion, Kartika emphasized that the Bangka Malay identity is dynamic and adaptive because it is able to integrate customs and Islam in a multiethnic society without losing its cultural foundation. These findings not only support the well-known sociological theories of Fredrik Barth and Thomas Hylland Eriksen, but also give birth to the "Adaptive Construction Model" that proves that religion, collective memory, and digital transformation are the main keys to maintaining the sustainability of ethnic identity in the modern era.

Kartika successfully defended her dissertation under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Zulkifli, MA, Prof. Dr. Jajat Burhanudin, MA, and was tested in front of a board of examiners consisting of Prof. Dr. Zulkifli, MA, Prof. Dr. Jajat Burhanudin, MA, Prof. Jajang Jahroni, MA, Ph.D, Prof. Dr. M. Ikhsan Tanggok, M.Si, Prof. Dr. Kholid Al Walid, M.Ag.

After paying attention to the writing of the dissertation, the comments of the examiner team and the answers of the promovendus, the examiner team determined that Kartika Sari graduated with the predicate of Very Satisfactory. Kartika is the 1692nd Doctor in the field of Islamic Studies, a doctoral program at the Graduate School of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. (Jay A)