The Undergraduate Program in Indonesian Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), held a guest lecture entitled “Literary Theory: Studies of Masculinity, Children’s and Young Adult Literature, and Critical Theory in Literary Research.” The event was conducted online via Zoom Meeting on Thursday, October 8, 2026, starting at 10:00 AM WIB. This guest lecture was organized to broaden the theoretical knowledge of the academic community, particularly students, while encouraging more diverse and up-to-date literary research.

Literary theory serves as the foundation for critical and sustainable literary research. Studies of masculinity, children’s and young adult literature, and critical theory offer new perspectives for interpreting literary texts, particularly in examining gender construction, the representation of young characters, and power relations embedded in literary works. For this reason, the event featured Prof. Nur Wulan, M.A., Ph.D., Professor of Masculinity Studies at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), Surabaya, as the speaker. Her academic works are widely recognized in masculinity studies, particularly concerning how concepts of manhood and social norms are constructed and taught to younger generations through children’s and young adult literature. In her presentation, she emphasized that masculinity is not something natural but rather a social construct whose ideal form depends on social, cultural, political, and economic contexts.

The event opened with remarks from the master of ceremonies, followed by a speech from Emma Marsella, S.S., M.Si., Head of the Undergraduate Program in Indonesian Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, USU. In her remarks, she encouraged students to make the most of the opportunity to gain as much knowledge as possible so that it could benefit them in their academic activities. Subsequently, Mhd. Pujiono, S.S., M.Hum., Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, USU, delivered his remarks and officially opened the event. After a group photo session and an introduction to the speaker’s profile and the moderator, Prof. Nur Wulan delivered the guest lecture. A question-and-answer session and interactive discussion followed, moderated by Dra. Nurhayati Harahap, M.Hum., a lecturer in the Undergraduate Program in Indonesian Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, USU. The event proceeded according to schedule and concluded at 12:00 PM WIB. As a token of appreciation, the organizing committee presented a certificate of appreciation to the speaker.

The event was attended by lecturers and students of the Undergraduate Program in Indonesian Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, USU, as well as participants from various institutions. The discussion was lively and focused on the application of literary theory in research, providing participants with both conceptual and practical insights into masculinity studies, children’s and young adult literature, and critical theory as foundations for literary research.

The organization of this guest lecture also aligns with efforts to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 on Quality Education and SDG 17 on Partnerships for the Goals. In relation to SDG 4, this activity enriches the academic culture and improves the quality of knowledge within the academic community in the field of literature. Regarding SDG 17, the participation of a speaker from Universitas Airlangga reflects inter-university collaboration in sharing academic knowledge and experience. Going forward, the Undergraduate Program in Indonesian Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, USU, hopes that similar academic activities will continue to be organized to strengthen academic expertise and collaborative networks in literary studies and research.