MAKASSAR, Indonesia — October 31, 2026 — With artificial intelligence rapidly transforming how languages are taught, researched and documented, universities worldwide are grappling with a parallel question: how to harness the technology without eroding the linguistic diversity and cultural knowledge it could help preserve. Universitas Negeri Makassar (UNM), Indonesia, addressed that question directly by organizing the inaugural International Conference on Indonesian Language, Literature, Culture, and Education (ICILLCE 2026) on October 26–27, 2026.
The international academic event brought together six distinguished speakers representing five countries and 154 paper presenters, creating a platform for discussions on language, literature, cultural heritage, education, and artificial intelligence.
Organized by the Department of Indonesian Language and Literature, Faculty of Languages and Literature, the conference adopted the theme "Strengthening Local Wisdom through Indonesian Language and Literature in the AI Era."
Six Distinguished Speakers from Five Countries
ICILLCE 2026 featured scholars from Indonesia, South Korea, Australia, Uzbekistan, and Egypt.
The invited speakers were:
Prof. Dr. Koh Young Hun — Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, South Korea.
Prof. Charles Campbell Macknight — Australian National University, Australia.
Dr. Rimajon Sotlikova — Uzbekistan.
Islam Ragab Abdelhamid Shehata, Lc., M.Pd. — Al-Azhar University, Egypt.
Azhari Dasman Darnis, M.Hum. — Indonesia.
Prof. Dr. Kembong Daeng, M.Hum. — Universitas Negeri Makassar, Indonesia.
The conference encouraged international perspectives on the importance of preserving linguistic diversity, cultural identity, and traditional knowledge amid rapid technological transformation.
Dean of the Faculty Supports International Academic Collaboration
The conference was officially opened by Prof. Dr. Anshari, M.Hum., Dean of the Faculty of Languages and Literature, Universitas Negeri Makassar.
The event reflected the faculty's commitment to developing international academic networks and encouraging scholarly publications, research partnerships, and educational innovation.
The conference also introduced an accountable digital registration payment system using QRIS, Indonesia's national QR payment standard, with payments directed to an official university account.
Department of Indonesian Language and Literature Strengthens Its Global Engagement
Prof. Dr. Kembong Daeng, M.Hum., Head of the Department of Indonesian Language and Literature, played an important role in supporting the inaugural conference.
His involvement as both department chair and invited speaker reflected the department's commitment to expanding Indonesian language and literature studies within international academic discussions.
Connecting Local Wisdom and Artificial Intelligence
The organizing committee was chaired by Dr. Andi Sahtiani Jahrir, S.Pd., M.Pd., a lecturer at Universitas Negeri Makassar.
ICILLCE 2026 explored how artificial intelligence can contribute to language learning, literary research, digital literacy, and cultural documentation while recognizing the importance of human creativity and local knowledge.
Research presentations addressed a wide range of topics, including Indonesian language education, literature, cultural identity, regional languages, digital communication, multimodal learning, and the ethical use of artificial intelligence.
The two-day event combined online and in-person academic sessions, allowing researchers from different institutions to exchange ideas and present their findings.
Building a Sustainable International Conference
Beyond the inaugural event, the organizers aim to strengthen the dissemination of research through conference proceedings and potential collaboration with academic journals. Any journal publication will remain subject to editorial evaluation and peer review.
ICILLCE 2026 represents an important step toward establishing a continuing international academic forum that connects Indonesian language, literature, culture, and education with global research and technological developments.
About ICILLCE
The International Conference on Indonesian Language, Literature, Culture, and Education (ICILLCE) is organized by the Department of Indonesian Language and Literature, Faculty of Languages and Literature, Universitas Negeri Makassar, Indonesia.
The conference promotes international academic collaboration, research dissemination, and the preservation of Indonesia's linguistic and cultural heritage.
Media Contact
ICILLCE 2026 Organizing Committee Universitas Negeri Makassar, Indonesia Email: [email protected]
Media Contact
Contact person: Andi Sahtiani Jahrir, Conference Chair
Company: ICILLCE 2026 – Universitas Negeri Makassar
