In a public lecture held on Friday, March 8, 2024, the UGM Department of History presented Dr. Maarten Fornerod, an associate professor in cell biology from Erasmus Medisch Centrum Rotterdam. In addition, he is also the secretary of the Indische Genealogische Vereniging (IGV) organization. This event is entitled Tracing Indonesian Family History in Europe: How the World Gets Smaller by Bigger Data From Archives and DNA which was held on the 2nd Floor of the Multimedia Room, Margono Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM from 09.00-11.00 WIB.

The presentation material presented by Dr. Maarten Fornerod related to the methodology of the object of study of family history is fairly new. He introduced a methodology that combines the use of archival sources and DNA data tracking of the object under study. He used this method to trace his family history which showed that his family had Chinese genealogy from Indonesia. Then, his relatives spread to several countries in Europe. Dr. Maarten Fornerod also explained that the Indonesian-Dutch heritage that spreads in Europe usually starts from the mother’s line. This is related to mitochondrial DNA, which scientifically is one hundred percent inherited from the mother.

Dr. Maarten Fonerod also said that IGV in collaboration with the VerhalenOverLeven Foundation is conducting a research project entitled “10,000 Voormoeders Project”. This activity aims to build a database consisting of photos, biographical data, and oral history information about 10,000 former Ancestral Mothers in Asia. The project invites the participation of the public who have genealogical connections to the Dutch East Indies or Indonesia to collect various information related to their ancestors. The database that is built is expected to navigate the various dimensions of information obtained to find out the family history of descendants of the Dutch East Indies or Indonesia in Europe.

“So, my conclusion is that… the archive and the DNA can be used to get a clear picture of individual histories, right? And this connection of individual histories, there are rich sources of human history, and they kind of complement, let’s say, top-down history, official history from the government,” said Dr. Maarten Fornerod.

On Monday, March 4, 2024, at 09.30 WITA, Dr. Arsanti Wulandari, S.S., M.Hum, a lecturer from the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program, became a speaker in a public lecture entitled ‘Philology in Javanese Manuscript Studies’. This activity was organized through the Zoom platform by the Old Javanese Literature Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Udayana University (FIB UNUD).

In the public lecture, Dr. Arsanti Wulandari presented an introduction to philology, reviewed the concept of philology, the object of study, the tasks of philologists, and the final product produced. The presentation was equipped with examples of Javanese manuscripts and their identification, so that the audience could understand about philology more easily. The discussion session that followed provided space for participants to ask various questions, showing their high enthusiasm for the topics discussed.

This public lecture on philology was held in response to the diminishing interest of students in the field of philological studies. However, the government is currently seriously encouraging the excavation of knowledge and values contained in ancient manuscripts. Hopefully, through this kind of activity, interest and understanding of philology can grow again among students.

The importance of understanding and maintaining the sustainability of knowledge and cultural values contained in ancient manuscripts is the focus of this public lecture. By providing knowledge, enthusiasm, and establishing good cooperation, it is hoped that the knowledge and cultural values in ancient manuscripts can be preserved and can then be developed according to the needs of the times.

Yogyakarta, Friday, February 23, 2024 – The Korean Language and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, has held a public lecture for the Comprehensive Korean 2 course. The Comprehensive Korean 2 course includes learning about Korean language that often appears in the business world. This course itself is a course held as a result of cooperation between the Korean Language and Culture Study Program and the Korea Foundation with lecturers directly from South Korea.

The Comprehensive Korean 2 public lecture is held online through the Zoom platform at 13.30 WIB. This public lecture is open to all students of Korean Language and Culture UGM, and is mandatory for students who take Comprehensive Korean 2.

This public lecture invited alumni of the UGM Korean Language and Culture Study Program, namely Jodie Anisya Kusumasari as a guest speaker. Jodie is an alumnus of Korean Language and Culture UGM class of 2017 who now works at the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) Jakarta Center. In the public lecture, Jodie shared her experiences during college until she started her career. After the presentation of the material, the public lecture continued with a question and answer session between the participants and the speakers. Then, the public lecture was closed with a closing session and documentation by the moderator.

This Comprehensive Korean Public Lecture 2 aims to introduce the world of work to students. That way, this public lecture is expected to be a means of self-development for students. In addition, this public lecture is a medium between the study program and alumni to continue to establish cooperation with alumni. This is in line with the sustainable development goals, namely Quality Education and Partnerships to Achieve Goals.

The Master of Archaeology Study Program is one of the study programs managed by the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada. This study program is accredited A (very good) by the National Accreditation Board for Higher Education (BAN-PT) for the period 2021-2026. The Master of Archaeology Study Program currently opens three types of programs offered for undergraduate graduates from various fields of science. These programs include Program by Course (Regular), Program by Research, and Double Degree Program.

Participants of Program by Course (Regular) and Program by Research can choose one of three main interests, namely Archaeology, Museology or Cultural Heritage Management, while the Double Degree Program is specifically offered for Heritage Studies enthusiasts. The courses offered, both compulsory and elective, are taught by lecturers who are experts in their fields, and can be taken by participants of all three programs. The scholarships that can be taken by Master of Archaeology students of FIB UGM include LPDP Scholarships (General, Affirmation, Targeted, Double Degree), Higher Education Lecturer Scholarships, Cultural Performer Scholarships, and Private Scholarships (YAD or others).

More information about the Master of Archaeology program and how to apply, can be obtained at the following link: Master of Archaeology Major Leaflet

On Friday, March 1, 2024, the Department of History, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM held another colloquium for history masters. There were two presenters and two discussants in the colloquium, namely Fajar Santosa and Adi Wildan Alamsyah as presenters, and Dr. Ahmad Athoillah and Dr. Ravando Lie as discussants. The event took place in a hybrid manner (online and offline) from 09.00 to 12.00 WIB in Room 709 Soegondo Building, Faculty of Arts UGM.

Fajar Santosa was the first presenter in the colloquium. He presented his thesis plan entitled “When the People Rebelled: Mass Movements in the 1998 Reformation in Surabaya” which discussed mass movements in the second metropolitan city, Surabaya, during the outbreak of reform events centered in Jakarta. He explained that the demand for reform was caused by the economic crisis that occurred at that time. The crisis caused the price of goods to rise, layoffs occurred in various places, and riots occurred everywhere. The small and middle class people panicked. They formed a social movement demanding reform and the resignation of President Soeharto from office.

Fajar Santosa said that the narrative that has developed so far only describes the reform movement in 1998 as a student movement as a representation of the middle class. Meanwhile, the narrative that explains that reform was driven by all classes, including the small, middle and elite, has not been widely discussed, including in the context of Surabaya. In his thesis plan, Fajar Santosa uses Eric Hoffer’s Mass Movement theory as a conceptual basis.

Next, the thesis plan entitled “The Chinese Community in Jember 1947-1971: Displacement and the Process of Social Integration with Local Communities” was presented by Adi Wildan Alamsyah as the second presenter. He explained that during the Bersiap period (1945-1947), the Chinese community became one of the excluded groups. Around 4000 Chinese refugees from West Java chose Jember as their destination to seek refuge. In the new region, they continued their lives and integrated with the Jemberan community. The soccer game and the existence of the square became a medium of integration between the Chinese refugees and the Jemberan community.

Adi Wildan Alamsyah said that one of the reasons why Jember was chosen as a destination for Chinese refugees was probably because Jember was a member of the Chinese chamber of commerce. Other members of the Chinese chamber of commerce include Cirebon, Bandung, and Batavia as its center. He also said that Jember as a city can be said to be a diaspora city. This is because many people from various tribes and ethnicities have come and settled in Jember, such as Javanese-Madurese, Osing, Mandarese, and Chinese.