Universitas Muhammadiyah Purworejo (UMPWR) – Through its Library Unit (UPT Perpustakaan), Universitas Muhammadiyah Purworejo (UMPWR) held an academic book review at the Seminar Room of the East Campus on Tuesday (July 7, 2026). The event was organized to commemorate Indonesia's National Librarian Day, observed annually on July 7, while also serving as an academic forum to introduce and discuss faculty publications with educators, students, and the wider community.
The featured publication was the first scholarly book by Prof. Dr. Sudar, M.Pd., a lecturer in UMPWR's Master's Program in English Language Education, entitled Language and Interaction in the Classroom: Perspective on Teaching and Learning. The book highlights the importance of active classroom interaction as a key element in creating meaningful and effective learning experiences.
The event was officially opened by UMPWR Vice Rector IV, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tusino, M.Pd.B.I., who expressed his appreciation for the initiative. In his remarks, he emphasized that cultivating a strong culture of academic writing and scholarly publication is an essential part of the university's commitment to advancing knowledge.
"A book review such as this is not only a way to appreciate the scholarly work of our lecturers, but also an opportunity to share ideas and extend the impact of academic knowledge to society. We hope more UMPWR lecturers will continue producing high-quality scholarly works that contribute meaningfully to education and the wider community," said Tusino.
During his presentation, Prof. Sudar explained that the inspiration for the book stemmed from his extensive teaching experience at junior high schools, senior high schools, and universities. Throughout his career, he observed that classroom instruction often remained teacher-centered, leaving students with limited opportunities to participate actively.
"Communication between teachers or lecturers and their students should be balanced. Students need to be actively engaged in classroom interaction rather than simply listening to the instructor. This approach helps build their confidence and encourages them to express their ideas, while keeping them focused and actively involved in the learning process," Prof. Sudar explained.
One of the book's key contributions is the introduction of problem-based discussion as a practical teaching strategy. The approach encourages students to engage in discussion, think critically, and confidently express their opinions. According to Prof. Sudar, the method is universally applicable and can be implemented across various disciplines and study programs, not only in English language classrooms.
Prof. Sudar also revealed that he is currently preparing his second scholarly book, tentatively titled Children's First and Second Language Acquisition: Perspective on Morphology, which will explore language acquisition in children.
Meanwhile, Chair of the Organizing Committee and Head of the UMPWR Library Unit, Nurmansyah Alami, M.T., stated that the book review has become one of the library's annual flagship programs to promote academic culture while introducing faculty research to the public.
"We often see classroom instruction taking place in only one direction—the teacher speaks while students remain silent. However, silence does not necessarily indicate understanding. Through this event, we hope to raise public awareness of the importance of interactive learning so that educational content can be understood more effectively," he said.
The event attracted significant interest, with 105 registered participants, including university students and teachers from Purworejo Regency and neighboring areas.
The book review featured Dr. Siti Tarwiyah, S.S., M.Hum., a lecturer in English Language Education at Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University, as the reviewer, while the discussion was moderated by Dr. Semi Sukarni, M.Pd., Head of UMPWR's Master's Program in English Language Education.
Through this event, the UMPWR Library Unit hopes to further strengthen its role as a center for academic literacy, scholarly publication development, and academic writing support, while fostering a stronger culture of reading, writing, and research among both the university community and the public. (akb/KP)
