Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM) held the First-Year Lecture for the Undergraduate Program for the 2026/2027 Academic Year on Tuesday (18/8). The event, which took place in the main hall of the Soegondo Auditorium at FIB UGM, was attended by approximately 800 new students from the class of 2026.
For this year’s lecture, FIB UGM invited a speaker from the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK) UGM, dr. Bagas Suryo Bintoro, Ph.D. He is a lecturer from the Department of Health Behavior, Environment, and Social Medicine. On this occasion, dr. Bagas presented an important topic titled “Be Kind: Because ‘Just Kidding’ Isn’t Always Kind”.
In his presentation, dr. Bagas highlighted the prevalence of mental health issues affecting adolescents in Indonesia. These issues are often triggered by feelings of loneliness, a lack of someone to talk to, and past trauma. One trigger that often goes unnoticed in social environments is jokes that cross the line. He reminded the audience that in many cases, people intend to joke, but unknowingly end up hurting others’ feelings.
To prevent this, dr. Bagas emphasized the importance of applying basic interpersonal attitudes, such as the habit of saying thank you, apologizing, and building genuine empathy toward others.
The atmosphere of the lecture was warm and interactive. Dr. Bagas occasionally incorporated fresh, relatable humor that resonated with the younger generation, sparking laughter among the attending FIB UGM freshmen.
Through this lecture, the faculty hopes that the core values and materials presented will serve as a valuable foundation for the new students. Consequently, they will be able to navigate their university life well, ethically, and contribute to creating an inclusive and mutually respectful campus environment.
[Author: Humas FIB, Zaidan Abdurrahman]
