June 15, 2026
From left: Bounsou Saytham, Hadi Rahman, Khamvone Boulyaphonh, and Abdullah Maulani (Photo: Abdullah Maulani) LUANG PRABANG — DREAMSEA (Digital Repository of Endangered and Affected Manuscripts in Southeast Asia) has completed a vital international monitoring and digitization mission in Laos. The mission focused on strengthening local capacities, evaluating field workflows, and navigating the delicate cultural landscape of Buddhist manuscript preservation. Hadi Rahman (Program Coordinator) and Abdullah Maulani (Researcher and Data Manager) from DREAMSEA spearheaded the on-site monitoring from 6 to 10 June 2026. The initiative involved direct engagement with several key regional stakeholders. The mission itself is being carried out by […]
June 11, 2026
Selangor, 15 May 2026 — DREAMSEA (Digital Repository of Endangered and Affected Manuscripts in Southeast Asia) officially launched its first digitization mission for Phase II at Khazanah Fathaniyah in Selangor, Malaysia, on 13 May 2026. The mission focuses on the extensive archives of the late Haji Wan Mohd Shaghir Abdullah, a collection holding approximately 2,000 archival items, including handwritten manuscripts, early lithographic prints, and historical letters, dating from as early as the 16th century. The project commenced with a formal coordination and networking session with the manuscript owner and mission academic expert, Wan Jumanatun Nailiah. Following the reception, the digitization […]
May 21, 2026
The Digital Repository of Endangered and Affected Manuscripts in Southeast Asia (DREAMSEA) held a two-day intensive workshop, DREAMSEA Regional Workshop (DSRW), in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 11 to 12 May 2026. The event marked a new beginning for the program.
May 4, 2025
Hamburg, April 11, 2025 – The Digital Repository of Endangered and Affected Manuscripts in Southeast Asia (DREAMSEA) has marked the successful completion of its initial seven-year program. This significant endeavor is a collaborative effort between PPIM Jakarta and the CSMC at the University of Hamburg, made possible by the generous support of the Arcadia Fund. The event served as a platform to showcase the program’s diverse achievements, present a comprehensive evaluation, and outline the vision for its upcoming second phase. These insights were shared directly by Principal Investigators Professor Oman Fathurahman and Professor Jan van der Putten, alongside Assistant PI […]
October 1, 2024
Padang – In a recent workshop organized by Dreamsea, Hadi Rahman, the Program Coordinator, emphasized the vital role of preserving Malay manuscripts as essential components of cultural heritage. The event brought together scholars, students, and manuscript owners to discuss the significance of these texts and the initiatives in place to safeguard them. Rahman highlighted that Malay manuscripts serve as important sources of knowledge about the history, culture, and traditions of Southeast Asia. He pointed out that these manuscripts are not merely artifacts; they reflect the region’s rich intellectual heritage. The Dreamsea program is dedicated to digitizing and documenting rare manuscripts, […]
October 1, 2024
Padang, West Sumatra – After successfully digitizing over half a million pages of manuscripts across Southeast Asia, the Center for Islamic and Community Studies (PPIM) at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, through its project Digital Repository of Endangered and Affected Manuscripts in Southeast Asia (Dreamsea), collaborated with the Library Unit of Andalas University and the SURI Minangkabau Institute to host a campus workshop titled “Exploring Research Opportunities in Digital Malay Manuscripts.” The event took place at the Andalas University Library on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. The workshop featured speakers from diverse backgrounds, including manuscript owners, academics, and representatives from government institutions […]
August 30, 2024
Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm, Vietnam – Dreamsea (Digital Repository of Endangered and Affected Manuscripts in Southeast Asia), a program managed by the Center for Islamic and Community Studies (PPIM) at UIN Jakarta, in collaboration with the Cham Cultural Research Center, successfully held a workshop themed “Southeast Asian Manuscript Digitization” in Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm, Vietnam, on August 21-22, 2024. This workshop served as an important platform for academics, researchers, and cultural practitioners from various Southeast Asian countries to deepen their knowledge of manuscript digitization and preserve endangered cultural heritage. Southeast Asia is known for its rich manuscript heritage with significant historical, literary, […]
August 9, 2024
Jakarta, August 8, 2024 — In a historic move, DREAMSEA (Digital Repository Endangered and Affected Manuscripts in Southeast Asia) has presented a digital grant of ancient manuscripts to the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia (Perpusnas). This preservation program is the result of a collaboration between the Center for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta and the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Culture (CSMC) at the University of Hamburg, Germany, aimed at saving endangered cultural heritage in Southeast Asia. The grant presentation event took place at the Perpusnas building, themed “Working Together […]
November 5, 2022
DREAMSEA, Jember – The DREAMSEA manuscript digitization team has completed a preservation mission in Jember, East Java, Indonesia. In this mission, a collection of manuscripts was obtained, which generally contained Islamic texts. There were two manuscripts that are quite eye-catching in this mission in Jember. The first is a manuscript of the Quran illuminated with beautiful colorful ornaments. Second, manuscripts with Javanese script and Middle-Javanese language which uses interlinear translations of Javanese and Madurese languages. The team is led by Fiqru Mafar with other team members, namely Rahmatia as a photographer, Tifa as an assistant academic expert, and Hanafi as […]
October 1, 2022
The DREAMSEA programme has successfully digitised thousands of ancient handwritten manuscripts left by the Habaib, who lived hundreds of years ago, at the Jamiat Kheir Educational Foundation in Indonesia. The manuscripts contain studies of religious sciences, science, astronomy, and even metaphysics. The effort to save these ancient manuscripts resulted in at least 5,000 pages being digitised. Umar Alhaddad, Chairman of the Jamiat Kheir Foundation, stated that “there are around 5,000 pages of ancient manuscripts written in Arabic and Arabic script. Some were written on imported European paper. Their contents are very diverse, ranging from the world of education to historical […]