In an effort to improve students’ writing skills, particularly in the field of Javanese literature, the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program Universitas Gadjah Mada organized a teaching practitioner activity themed Javanese Literary Creation. The activity was held in Margono Room 404, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada as part of the Productive Written Javanese course on April 14 and 21, 2026.

The activity featured Sri Suryani as the teaching practitioner, guiding students to become more familiar with the world of Javanese literary writing. This class formed part of the Productive Written Javanese course for the 2026 academic year, taught by Dr. Sulistyowati, M.Hum.

During the first meeting on April 14, 2026, students received material on modern Javanese literary works and creative writing techniques, particularly short stories (cerkak). In addition to the presentation session, students and the teaching practitioner discussed the planned outputs of the activity, namely an anthology of cerkak and geguritan. Students were also given the opportunity to submit their written works, which would later be discussed in the following session.

Meanwhile, during the second meeting on April 21, 2026, students studied geguritan with a focus on stylistic elements. The activity then continued with a discussion of the works submitted in the previous meeting. Students presented drafts of their writing and discussed them with the teaching practitioner and fellow participants. The discussion session was lively and interactive, as students not only learned how to write, but also gained an understanding of the processes of developing, editing, and preparing literary works for publication.

The teaching practitioner activity was carried out smoothly and successfully, supported by the strong enthusiasm of students from the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program in learning about Javanese literary writing. Through this activity, students not only gained an understanding of the creative process of literary writing, but also acquired practical experience in developing their works more thoroughly. The outputs of the activity, in the form of Javanese literary works such as cerkak and geguritan, are expected to serve as learning media as well as a means for younger generations to foster love and pride for Indonesian culture, particularly Javanese culture. In addition, this activity aligns with the goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 4 on quality education through the strengthening of students’ literacy and creativity competencies, and SDG 17 on partnerships for the goals through collaboration between academics and practitioners in developing experience-based learning.

Author : Haryo Untoro
Editor : Haryo Untoro

Yogyakarta, April, 24 2026 – The Balai Bahasa Provinsi Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta and the Faculty of Cultural Sciences Universitas Gadjah Mada signed a cooperation agreement concerning the synergy of language and literature development, cultivation, and preservation through the strategic role of higher education institutions. This activity formed part of an effort to strengthen collaboration between language institutions and academic institutions in maintaining the sustainability of language and literature amid the dynamics of globalization.

The cooperation agreement was signed by Drs. Umar Solikhan, M.Hum., as the Head of the Yogyakarta Language Office and Dr. Mimi Savitri, M.A. as the Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation, and Alumni Affairs of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences. Through this partnership, both parties committed to developing various collaborative programs in the fields of education, language development, and academic advancement, including student internships, language competency enhancement, regional language preservation, academic activities, and the development of the Indonesian for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) program.

The event was also attended by representatives of the Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa as well as heads of language offices from several provinces, including Banten, West Java, Central Java, and East Java. The presence of these stakeholders reflected the importance of cross-regional synergy in strengthening both language policies and the implementation of national language programs.

In his remarks, Drs. Umar Solikhan, M.Hum., emphasized that the Language Office’s attention is directed not only toward the status of the Indonesian language, but also toward the sustainability of regional languages. According to him, the preservation of regional languages is one of the major tasks that urgently needs to be strengthened.

“Indonesia possesses extraordinary linguistic diversity. However, the current condition is certainly far from ideal. Our younger generation seems to be increasingly unfamiliar with regional languages and finds it difficult to use them.”

He further explained that the Language Office would strengthen regional language preservation efforts through several measures, such as improving teachers’ competencies and the quality of regional language instruction, adjusting educational curricula, and empowering local communities. In this context, the cooperation between the Yogyakarta Language Office and the Faculty of Cultural Sciences serves as one concrete step in supporting these efforts.

Through this collaboration, it is hoped that an ecosystem supporting the strengthening of Indonesian and regional linguistic and literary identities can be established, while also encouraging innovation in linguistic studies and practices relevant to contemporary societal needs. One concrete initiative that has already been implemented is the development of a Javanese language corpus organized by the Yogyakarta Language Office with the involvement of students from the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program, FIB UGM.

Author : Haryo Untoro
Editor : Haryo Untoro

Yogyakarta, May 21, 2026 – The Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM) is hosting the Gadjah Mada Wayang Festival 2026 from May 21 to 23, 2026. The festival features a traditional leather puppet painting (sungging) competition and a cardboard puppet coloring contest, representing a concrete step by the educational institution to preserve Indonesian heritage.

This event is part of the EQUITY program funded by the Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP RI) and serves as a celebration of the 80th anniversary of FIB UGM. This year, the Gadjah Mada Wayang Festival adopts the grand theme “Kita. Butuh. Wayang.” (We. Need. Wayang.). The theme conveys a vital message about fostering a balanced synergy between the university’s academic discourse and the livelihoods of wayang craftsmen in Butuh Hamlet, Sidowarno Village, Klaten Regency.

The competitions began simultaneously on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at 09:30 AM WIB. The leather puppet painting competition targets high school students, university students, and the general public from various regions, with a maximum age limit of 25. The organizing committee provided a Surakarta-style Gathutkaca puppet character as the primary medium. Participants are given five and a half hours to complete their work individually. They are free to choose their painting style based on personal preference, such as the Surakarta or Yogyakarta style.

Alongside this event, the committee is holding an in-person cardboard puppet (Wayang Karton) coloring competition at Pusaka Jawa UGM. This competition is specifically designed for elementary and junior high school students. Participants are given three hours to complete their work. All entries from both competitions will be returned and remain the full property of the participants after the winners are announced.

The evaluation for both competitions takes place in a single judging phase. The primary criteria used by the panel of judges include coloring technique, color composition, neatness and cleanliness, as well as the level of creativity shown by the participants.

These efforts to preserve wayang artistry serve as an important bridge to keep local cultural heritage deeply rooted in the identity of the younger generation. The close collaboration between the higher education institution and village artisans demonstrates that protecting tradition goes hand in hand with community empowerment and strengthening the local economy for the future.

[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]

Yogyakarta, May 21, 2026 – The Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM) has officially opened the Gadjah Mada Wayang Festival 2026 at the UGM Center for Javanese Studies (Pusaka Jawa). The event, running from Thursday, May 21, to Saturday, May 23, 2026, is part of the Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education Agency (LPDP RI) EQUITY program and serves as a celebration of the 80th anniversary of FIB UGM.

This year’s festival highlights the main theme “Kita. Butuh. Wayang.” (We Need Wayang). This theme carries a vital message regarding the effort to build a balanced synergy between the academic sphere of UGM and the creative pulse of wayang artisans in Butuh Hamlet, Sidowarno Village, Klaten Regency.

FIB UGM emphasizes that this year’s theme reflects a commitment to keeping traditions alive. It serves as a declaration that the existence of wayang cannot merely be preserved in museum showcases or through stage performances. Wayang must be actively sustained by empowering its makers in Butuh Hamlet, appreciating its creative process, and ensuring its noble values are carried forward by ‘Us’ into the present and future.

The Gadjah Mada Wayang Festival series opened on Thursday, May 21, 2026, with an Opening Ceremony and a Solo Wayang Performance. On the same day, the committee also hosted a Cardboard Wayang Coloring and Wayang Painting (Sungging) Competition. For three full days, the general public can visit the Wayang Exhibition and Market, which showcases a variety of highly valuable artworks crafted by local artisans.

The second day, Friday, May 22, 2026, focuses on strengthening the academic foundation through an Expert Lecture. The highlight of the festival will take place on Saturday, May 23, 2026. On this final day, the public will have the opportunity to participate in a Tatah Sungging (Wayang Carving and Painting) Workshop, watch the vibrant Nusantara Wayang Parade, and attend the closing ceremony along with the announcement of the competition winners.

The Gadjah Mada Wayang Festival 2026 represents a concrete step by the university to preserve the nation’s cultural heritage. Empowering village artisans and placing them at the center of art preservation will foster self-reliance and economic growth within local communities. This empowerment-based preservation approach ensures that ancestral heritage remains competitive, inclusive, and capable of supporting the welfare of its artisans across generations.

[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]

The Master’s Program in Literature once again held a public discussion titled “Exercises in Chineseness: Literature, Mythmaking & Identity in Contemporary Tionghoa Communities” at Room 105 Soegondo, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, on Wednesday (20/5/2026). The event featured researcher Alexandra Masri Do from Cornell University, moderated by Naria Nur Iftitah from the Master’s Program in Literature, FIB UGM. The discussion explored contemporary Chinese Indonesian identity through literature, collective memory, and everyday cultural practices.

In her presentation, Alexandra highlighted the position of Chinese Indonesians as part of the world’s largest Chinese diaspora population. She explained that Chinese communities in the Indonesian archipelago existed long before the emergence of the modern nation-state, with records of settlements dating back to the seventh century. According to her, “Chinese” identity in Indonesia has never been singular, but rather continuously negotiated through language, culture, historical experience, and intergenerational social relations.

Alexandra also examined how the legacy of Dutch colonialism created social stratifications whose effects continue to persist today. She referred to 1965 and 1998 as two traumatic historical moments deeply embedded in the collective memory of Chinese Indonesian communities. The political circumstances of those periods, she argued, shaped the ways Chinese Indonesians viewed themselves, the state, and the very idea of citizenship.

Through several contemporary literary works, Alexandra demonstrated how the experience of being Chinese in Indonesia is articulated through personal narratives. She quoted The Longing by Alberta Natasia Adji, which portrays the younger generation’s disconnection from their ancestral cultural roots: “I’m a copy of my mother, but I speak the language of the locals. The closest thing I’ve got to my Chinese heritage now is eating noodles with chopsticks and checking my luck according to the Chinese horoscope.”

Referring to the passage, Alexandra noted that Chinese identity often survives only through simple cultural symbols such as chopsticks or zodiac beliefs, while ancestral languages gradually disappear from everyday life.

Beyond literature, Alexandra presented field documentation that she described as both collective and deeply personal, gathered from areas such as Glodok, Pantjoran PIK, Jambi, and Yogyakarta. Photographs of Chinese temples, Chinese schools, markets, and even citizenship archives from 1953 illustrated how Chinese identity continues to be reproduced through social spaces and cultural practices. She referred to this process as “mythmaking,” or the construction of collective narratives surrounding who Chinese Indonesians are and how they are understood.

Alexandra’s research also explored the aspirations of contemporary Chinese Indonesians, particularly the post-1998 generation. She questioned whether the idea of “homeland” is understood as Indonesia, China, or an in-between space of identity. These questions emerge alongside social change, globalization, and the increasing mobility of younger generations.

During the discussion, Alexandra emphasized the importance of fiction and literature as mediums for understanding minority experiences that are often absent from official historical narratives. In her view, literary works are capable of capturing the emotions, anxieties, and hopes of Chinese Indonesian communities more intimately than formal historical documents.

The event proceeded interactively with enthusiastic participation from students and academics. The discussion expanded to issues of discrimination, nationalism, and the representation of Chinese Indonesians in Indonesian popular culture. Through this public lecture, participants were encouraged to see Chinese identity not as a static category, but as an experience continually shaped by history, politics, culture, and everyday life.

[Magister Sastra, Khotibul Umam]