Prof. Dr. Suharko opened his speech by talking about the Covid-19 pandemic condition that has created a condition of worry and uncertainty in our society. Therefore, an analysis of risks in sociology studies needs to be developed, considering that the physical, spatial, and social environment changes rapidly in the Anthropocene era. “In the era of advanced modernization, the production of wealth is systematically accompanied by the production of risks. The problems and conflicts that arise from the unequal production of wealth then intersect with problems that come from the production, definition, and risk distribution created techno-scientifically. This is what we call a society of risk, which refers to an era where risk-aware thinking is the dominant way of thinking in confronting urgent and potential problems.” said Prof. Suharko in his speech.
At that event, he also talked about the three research issues when it comes to risk, which are justice and environmental movement, vulnerability and resilience, and the mainstreaming of risk and citizenship. “Risk needs to be the basis for countries in designing and creating an array of environmental and social policies, especially for marginal and vulnerable groups,” Prof. Suharko said. Other than that, Prof. Suharko also hopes that sociology can collaborate with other disciplines to create a comprehensive understanding of the issue of risk.
Prof. Suharko is one of 352 professors at Gadjah Mada University and 34 active professors in Fisipol UGM. The inauguration speech event of Prof. Suharko was attended by dozens of individuals, which includes his family, some lecturers and staff of Fisipol UGM’s Sociology Department, and other attendants who were present virtually. The event was then followed by a meet and greet with Prof. Dr. Suharko, M.Si. which was held in the hallway of Fisipol UGM.