YOGYAKARTA – Undergraduate students from the Department of Communication Studies attended a guest lecture titled "The Future of Communication Science: Trust or Truth?" held in the Conference Room on the 1st Floor of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FISHUM), UIN Sunan Kalijaga, on Friday (10/10/2025). The event featured Prof. Dr. Iswandi Syahputra, M.Si., a Communication Studies lecturer and Expert Staff to the Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia for Institutional Relations, as the keynote speaker.

The event was officially opened by the Vice Dean for General Administration and Finance, Dr. Astri Hanjarwati, S.Sos., M.A. In her opening remarks, she expressed her appreciation for the speaker's presence. "We are extremely fortunate to have Prof. Iswandi here with us, guiding our students in discussing the future of communication science," she stated.

Entering the core session moderated by Durrotul Masudah, M.A., Prof. Iswandi explained that the world is currently experiencing a phenomenon of communicative chaos known as the post-truth era. He highlighted various serious impacts of this phenomenon, such as the death of expertise, the fabrication of false realities, and the erosion of democratic values.

As a solution, Prof. Iswandi proposed the concept of "spiritual communication" (komunikasi ruhani), grounded in prophetic values. He challenged the UIN academic community to fill the void in current communication studies. "In intrapersonal communication, who are we talking to inside ourselves? It turns out there is another 'I' within 'ME'. Only UIN can address this void," he remarked.

At the end of the session, Prof. Iswandi offered practical advice for navigating the information overload currently facing society. "Know enough, but do not seek to know. Once we seek to know, the algorithm will give us more than we want and more than we need," he concluded.

This guest lecture aimed to address the challenges and relevance of communication science amidst the rapid advancement of technology and artificial intelligence (AI). The ideas presented by Prof. Iswandi are expected to provide new perspectives for students as future practitioners and academics in the field of communication. A deep understanding of the post-truth era serves as essential preparation for navigating the ever-changing media landscape. (K.Ind)