Yogyakarta, April 24, 2026 – Encouraging news comes from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). A professor of FIB UGM, Prof. Dr. Pujo Semedi Hargo Yuwono, M.A., has officially been appointed as a member of the UGM Board of Trustees (Majelis Wali Amanat / MWA) for the 2026–2031 term, representing the professoriate. The appointment was determined during the Special Plenary Meeting of the Academic Senate on Friday (24/4).

The appointment of Prof. Pujo Semedi underscores the strategic role of FIB UGM in university-level policymaking. As a professor in the field of humanities, he brings an academic perspective that emphasizes cultural values, ethics, and a strong commitment to the public interest in higher education governance.

The Board of Trustees is a key governing body within UGM, responsible for setting general policies, overseeing institutional performance, and ensuring the university’s long-term sustainability. In this context, the presence of an FIB UGM professor within the MWA is expected to strengthen more inclusive, balanced, and human-centered policy directions.

The selection of MWA members for the 2026–2031 period involves representatives from various sectors, including public figures, alumni, faculty members, administrative staff, and students. The representation of FIB UGM through Prof. Pujo Semedi highlights the significant contribution of the humanities in fostering accountable and sustainable university governance.

With the mandate entrusted to him, Prof. Pujo Semedi is expected to contribute optimally to advancing UGM as a leading higher education institution with broad societal impact.

In line with this, the involvement of an FIB UGM professor in the MWA also supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) through strengthening higher education governance, and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) through efforts to promote transparent, accountable, and inclusive institutions.

[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Alma Syahwalani]

Yogyakarta, April, 4, 2026 – The Student Association of the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Student Association, or Kamastawa Student Association, held its first meeting, or inaugural meeting, of the Sahacitta Cabinet in the Auditorium on the 7th floor of the Soegondo Building. This event served as a means of building camaraderie among the board members and introducing the organizational structure and work program plans for the next term.

The event began at 7:30 a.m. WIB with an opening reception, followed by a serving of cokekan (rice cake) to open the atmosphere. In addition to all board members and students, the event was also attended by lecturers from the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University, as a token of support for student activities.

The event was then officially opened by various Executive Chairs and the Chair of Kamastawa Student Association 2026. On this occasion, the advisor of Kamastawa Student Association, Dr. Rudy Wiratama, S.IP., M.A., also delivered various keynotes and symbolically inaugurated the Sahacitta Cabinet.

Entering the main session, the board introduced the Sahacitta Cabinet by explaining the philosophy of the name, visual identity, and direction of the organization. Etymologically, “Sahacitta” comes from the Sanskrit words “saha,” meaning “together,” and “citta,” meaning “feeling.” This naming reflects the spirit of togetherness and a unified consciousness to achieve the organization’s goals.

The event continued with an explanation of the division structure and the board members who will implement the work program for the period. Each division explained its function and focus as part of the organization’s development efforts, as well as its contribution to the preservation and development of Javanese language, literature, and culture.

The event concluded with a joint documentation session marking the beginning of the Sahacitta Cabinet administration. Through this activity, it is hoped that all board members can work synergistically to strengthen the organization’s role, both in the academic environment and in the wider community.

[Javanese, Language, and Literature, Haryo Untoro]

Yogyakarta, April 9, 2026 – A photography exhibition titled “Life Behind the Ride: Resilience and Risk in Indonesia’s On-Demand Economy” opened in the West Lobby of the Anthropology Building, Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, and will be on display for six weeks. Organized by EthnoLab at the University of Toronto, Canada, the exhibition is the outcome of the long-term research project “Ubering the City,” led by Dr. Sheri Gibbings, Dr. Elan Lazuardi (Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM), Dr. Robbie Peters, and Dr. Joshua Barker, involving collaboration among researchers, students, and photographers.

This exhibition highlights the impact of the digital economic transformation on the urban transportation landscape in Indonesia through a visual ethnographic approach. The presence of the gig economy has not only displaced traditional motorcycle taxis but also reshaped social networks, mobility patterns, and urban planning. One of the key contributors to this exhibition is Syahrul Zidane, a Master’s student in Anthropology at Universitas Gadjah Mada. Despite the distance and time zone differences, coordination between the UGM and University of Toronto teams was conducted intensively through online meetings.

Before his involvement in Toronto, Zidane had previously contributed to exhibitions at Gadjah Mada University and Wilfrid Laurier University. He was responsible for exhibition layout, photo curation, as well as the design of books and digital materials such as the digital catalog and contributor book. Now, he is once again involved in an exhibition at the University of Toronto alongside Dr. Emily Hertzman, the exhibition’s curator, and Austin from the School of Cities.

In this project, Zidane is also working on the exhibition space layout, visual curation, and the design of various elements such as description text and the digital catalog. He admits that this experience has given him a unique sense of fulfillment: “It feels very rewarding to me because I can contribute my skills in exhibition management, and it’s like going back to my college days (undergraduate studies) in the arts, particularly in curatorial work and exhibition layout,” Zidane explained. Zidane’s involvement reflects the role of Indonesia’s younger generation in the international academic arena while highlighting the importance of global collaboration.

[Anthropology,  Dewi Widyastuti]

The Japanese Popular Culture course, organized by the Japanese Language and Culture Program, welcomed guest students to its class on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. The course instructor, Lili Febriyani, S.S., M.Si., invited students from various cohorts to provide reviews and feedback on the poster assignments prepared by each group.

The presence of guest students aims to enrich the learning process through a more diverse range of perspectives. In addition to receiving evaluations from the instructor and fellow students, participants also received input from students across different cohorts, including those who have and those who have not yet taken the course. Furthermore, this activity helped train students’ abilities to present ideas and respond to questions directly.

The guest students in attendance were from the 2021 and 2022 cohorts who had taken the Popular Culture course, as well as the 2024 and 2025 cohorts who had not yet taken the course. During this activity, the guest students observed and evaluated the posters presented by each group, focusing on design, clarity of content, and the ability to convey the material.

The posters created by each group explored the theme of the representation of heterosexual women in Japanese media, employing diverse visual approaches and analyses. Each group presented the content of their poster in detail and responded to questions posed by the visiting students.

At the end of the session, the visiting students shared their general impressions and evaluations through representatives from each class. This activity is expected to encourage students to be more open to diverse perspectives and to strengthen academic interaction among classes in the learning process.

Author: Nur Shafiyah Salma Putri

Para akademisi, peneliti, dan praktisi di bidang antropologi diundang untuk berpartisipasi dalam panel bertajuk “Decolonizing Anthropology in Multipolar World: Methodological Critiques from Global South Gaze” dalam rangkaian Simposium Internasional Jurnal Antropologi Indonesia ke-9 yang akan digelar pada 4–7 Agustus 2026. 

Panel ini mencoba membuka ruang refleksi kritis terhadap bagaimana antropologi dapat didekolonisasi dalam konteks dunia yang semakin multipolar. Fokus utamanya adalah menantang asumsi metodologis yang selama ini mendominasi penelitian etnografi, khususnya pendekatan yang masih berpusat pada perspektif Barat. Melalui forum ini, para peserta diajak untuk mempertanyakan ulang kerangka kerja metodologi yang dianggap mapan, sekaligus mengeksplorasi alternatif yang lebih inklusif. Salah satu sorotan utama panel ini adalah pengalaman peneliti dari Global Selatan yang melakukan riset di konteks Global Utara. Perspektif ini dinilai penting untuk memperkaya diskusi tentang metodologi antropologi yang lebih “pluriversal” yakni pendekatan yang mengakui keberagaman cara pandang dan produksi pengetahuan. Dengan menempatkan pengalaman tersebut di garis depan, panel ini berupaya menggeser pusat epistemik menuju perspektif Global Selatan. 

Melalui call for papers ini, penyelenggara mengundang kontribusi tulisan yang mampu menawarkan pembacaan baru atas persoalan tersebut. Topik dapat mencakup pengalaman lapangan lintas konteks, kritik terhadap hierarki pengetahuan, hingga inovasi metodologis yang berakar pada perspektif lokal dan kolaboratif.

Ini adalah kesempatan bagi para peneliti untuk tidak hanya berbagi temuan, tetapi juga ikut membentuk arah masa depan antropologi yang lebih reflektif. Kirimkan abstrak Anda dan jadilah bagian dari panel menarik ini, abstrak tidak lebih dari 300 kata dan dikirimkan paling lambat 18 Mei 2026 ke https://simposiumjai.ui.ac.id/. 

[Humas S3 Antropologi]