The Thematic Research Group (TRG) named Manuscript and Culture Research Group serves as a platform for thematic research exploring the connection between manuscript (ancient texts) and culture within the context of the Nusantara. This TRG focuses on two key entities: 1) Manuscript, which documents human facts, history, and knowledge; 2) Culture, which represents maritime culture identity. Humans, in their interaction with the environment, including the ocean as a geographical and cultural construct have shaped maritime socio-cultural environments.

In this context, manuscript and maritime culture in South Sulawesi are vital socio-cultural aspects that require scholarly exploration through an interdisciplinary approach involving philology, history, culture, maritime studies, linguistics, geography, and archaeology. Consequently, the establishment of the Manuscript and Culture Research Group aims to foster studies on manuscript and culture grounded in the local wisdom of South Sulawesi. This initiative views South Sulawesi as a distinguished naval zone and Southeast Asian culture with a long historical trajectory.