The UGM Arabic Literature Student Association (Ikmasa) held SANJUNG (Ikmasa Visits) on Sunday, June 30th, 2024. This event took place in Room 709 of the Soegondo Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada. This event was a collaboration between Ikmasa and the Student Association of Arabic Language Education at Muhammadiyyah University of Yogyakarta (HIMA PBA UMY).

The event was attended by all members of the UGM Arabic Literature Student Association (Ikmasa) and the Student Association of Arabic Language Education at Muhammadiyyah University of Yogyakarta (HIMA PBA UMY).

The event began with an opening by the MC, followed by remarks from the HMP Chair, and presentations of each HMP’s work programs. It continued with departmental sharing sessions, where participants gathered with their respective departments, and concluded with the symbolic exchange of souvenirs and a group photo at the UGM rectorate.

It is hoped that through SANJUNG (Ikmasa Visits), the bonds of friendship will be maintained, fostering a sense of togetherness and cooperation among all participants.

Organized by the Department of Anthropology, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia on Monday, July 8, 2024 at Soegondo Building room 709, Faculty of Humanities, Gadjah Mada University, this one-day workshop was conceived to stimulate dialogue between different geographical, political, and economic views on migration in the Global South, while exploring opportunities to enhance scholarly exchange among participants. The event was able to provide a platform to discuss diverse approaches to migration, including knowledge creation, dynamics, methods, ethics, and case studies from different regions in the Global South. The aim of the Workshop was also to provide participants with the necessary skills to disseminate their ideas more widely and engage in contemporary debates on migration in the South.

Opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Kamran Asdar Ali as Former President of AAS and Mimi Savitri, M.A., Ph.D. as Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation and Alumni of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada. Then the participants and mentors introduced themselves one by one before presenting the work of their respective groups. The next agenda was Rethinking Interconnectivity which was guided by Dr. Realisa D. Massardi/Dr. Furrukh Khan/Dr: Jerónimo Delgado-Caicedo. This was followed by breakaway sessions discussing interconnectivity in the global south and how the concept relates to their research. Participants then presented again, this time on their findings. At the end of the program, there was a discussion to answer any unanswered questions.

The Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM), held another Macapatan Jumat Legen event on Thursday, June 27th, 2024. This event took place at the Javanese Studies Center (Pusaka Jawa) and raised a popular Javanese literary work, namely Serat Wedhatama.

Serat Wedhatama, a literary work written by Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Arya Adipati (KGPAA) Mangkunagara IV, is a work full of piwulang about the concept of divinity and moral teachings in life and society. The manuscript of Serat Wedhatama kept at the Mangkunegaran Palace Library in Surakarta consists of 100 stanzas and is divided into several pupuhs, namely:

1. Pupuh Pangkur: 14 pada (stanzas)
2. Pupuh Sinom: 18 pada (stanzas)
3. Pupuh Pocung: 15 pada (stanzas)
4. Pupuh Gambuh: 35 pada (stanzas)
5. Pupuh Kinanthi: 18 pada (stanzas)

The event presented Prof. Dr. Hendrokumoro, M.Hum., as the speaker, and was attended by participants from various circles. In addition, Dr. Rudy Wiratama, S.I.P., M.A., participated in developing Serat Wedhatama in the opening ceremony and several students of the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program participated in playing gamelan, adding to the solemn atmosphere of the event. The liveliness of the participants in reading and developing Serat Wedhatama created an atmosphere full of beauty.

Prof. Dr. Hendrokumoro, M.Hum, on the occasion, emphasized that Serat Wedhatama, with its philosophical values and moral messages, can be applied in daily life. However, the actualization needs to be considered so that it can be relevant to the current conditions.

Macapatan Jumat Legen aims to revive the Macapatan tradition and preserve this tradition for the younger generation. Preserving this tradition and extracting information from literary works such as Serat Wedhatama is an important step in improving the quality of public education. The collaboration of various parties, such as between the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program and the Pusaka Jawa UGM, is an effort to maximize these preservation efforts. Thus, the organization of Macapatan Jumat Legen is in line with the 4th and 17th points in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).

Author : Haryo Untoro

During the 3rd graduation period held on April 24, 2024, four students from the Master’s Program in American Studies graduated. All four are 2021 cohorts of the Master’s Program in American Studies, namely: Diah Prima, Ratu Nadhirah El Sarah, Krisna Sujiwa, and Riza Rahayu Muludi. The discussions in the theses of these four graduates reflect a diversity of topics ranging from political issues, popular culture, social problems, racism, etc. Broadly speaking, the students’ thesis interests in the study program are grouped into two; namely social issues and literature.

Diah Prima’s thesis is titled: American Influence in Japanese Imagination: A Study of Semiotics on Furudate’s Haikyuu!!. This study discusses the influence of America in Japan and the extent of American influence on Haruichi Furudate’s manga Haikyuu!!. Haikyuu!! itself revolves around the theme of volleyball, a sport introduced by America. In addition, there are other aspects that are also American influences in this manga, such as fashion, hairstyle, technology, and cheerleading. Nevertheless, there are still some limitations to American influence in Haikyuu!!, such as politeness, which is deeply ingrained in Japanese culture and remains unaffected by American culture.

Next is Riza Rahayu Muludi’s thesis titled Constructing the Pursuit of Happiness in the Pursuit of Happiness (2006): Roland Barthes’ Semiotic Analysis. This study aims to see how the pursuit of happiness constructs the lives of Americans in the film The Pursuit of Happiness. The pursuit of happiness is part of the American Dream, which means that every American has the right to their happiness. As seen in the film, the character Chris Gardner has his own happiness in achieving success. Furthermore, other characters besides Gardner also have their own happiness.

Ratu Nadhirah’s thesis, which graduated with Cumlaude honors, is titled Representing Islam in American Superhero Series of 2022. This thesis discusses how Islam is represented in superhero series. Conflicts related to Islam in the Western world, especially in the United States, have been ongoing long before the events of September 11, 2001 (9/11). However, the negative representation of Islam worsened after 9/11. This event promoted stereotypes that spread widely through the mass media, forming a set of characteristics used to identify Muslims, such as thick beards, heavy accents, Arab appearance, the use of hijabs, and more. Nonetheless, in 2022 Marvel Studios released its 7th television series titled Ms. Marvel, featuring the first Muslim superhero as the main character in the history of American superhero series.

Lastly, Krisna Sujiwa’s thesis, titled Freedom of Speech in Transnational Dialogue: a Critical Discourse Analysis of Daryl Morey’s Tweet about the Hong Kong Protest, discusses how a tweet from Daryl Morey, an executive of an NBA basketball club, caused issues between the NBA, America, and China, which eventually led to significant problems for the NBA.

These studies are expected to provide an overview of how research is conducted in the Master’s Program in American Studies, as well as what topics or issues can be researched in the field of American Studies. Furthermore, these studies are also expected to serve as references for future research.

The results for the official IETLS test held by UGM Language Center on  Saturday, June 8, 2024 are out, and the UGM Language Center proudly congratulates all students for finishing the test with flying colors. 

We interviewed one student of UGM Language Center, Prientananda Ghina Salsabila, who achieved a significant milestone by scoring an overall band score of 7.5 on the IELTS exam. Her journey is not only a testament to her dedication and hardwork but also highlights the broader implications of education in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This article will summarize Prientananda’s preparation, journey, her challenges, and how her success aligns with the global objectives of sustainable development. 

During the interview, Prientananda expressed how blessed and grateful she felf after receiving her score that is in line with her target. However, she still has a strong desire to aim higher and improve her score, especially in writing. Prior to the test, Prientananda utilized English on a daily basis to familiarize herself and applied different approaches for practicing each IELTS skill. For reading, she read numerous academic texts, such as journals or news articles in international newspapers. During the test, she applied skimming before reading the full text. For listening, she watched multiple English movies without subtitles and listened to English songs while taking note of unfamiliar vocabularies. For speaking, she practiced with her peers and do a lot fo mock test to recall idioms, collocations, and advanced vocabularies. Lastly, she utilized linking devices and complex sentences during the exam in her writing to achieve maximal score. “To be able to write we have to read, to be able to speak we have to listen,” she shared. She also advised to learn and study long before the d-day to avoid anxiety and perform optimally during the test. 

Like many non-native students, Prientananda found the writing section particularly challenging. She shared her difficulties as non-native speaker to get a high score despite already fulfilling the specific requirements, which she attributed to the difference of sentence arrangement between native and non-native as well as many unfamiliar academic vocabularies. However, she also mentioned how studying at UGM Language Center improved her initial score. “Fortunately, after the course, since a lot of mock tests have been given, I now know all the sections well, and so I don’t experience the same difficulty as I did anymore,” she shared.

Lastly, Prientananda also shared her gratitude for UGM Language Center that assisted her in improving her score. She expressed how IELTS is different from other tests and how one needs to understand many technical rules and tips/tricks beforehand to achieve desirable score, which are taught in the course. She also mentioned how the schedule is sometimes to tight to her liking, but nonetheless, learning at UGM Language Center has facilitated and prepared her for the test. Furthermore, she stated how UGM Language Center is flexible and willing to accept student’s suggestion and objection, which enhance the effectiveness of the course. 

Prientananda’s journey exemplifies the impact of quality education on personal growth and success, aligning with SDG 4: Quality Education, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.