SDG 4: Quality education | SDGs 4: Cultural diversity | SDGs 4: Enrolment | SDGs 4: Equal access | SDG 10: Reduced inequality | SDGs 10: Culture | SDGs 10: Education | SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities | SDGs 11: Adaptable | SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions | SDGs 16: Accountable institutions | SDGs 16: Education

The month of Ramadan has passed. Visits from outside the region to the Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Gadjah Mada are busy again. This time, on April 29, 2024 at 9 am, the faculty was visited by younger siblings who came all the way from Aceh, namely the modern boarding school MA Teuku Chiek Oemar Diyan. Wearing polite and closed clothes typical of the city of Mecca portico in green and combined with black suits and caps for men, 104 students and 6 accompanying teachers entered the auditorium in an orderly and enthusiastic manner while taking pictures and recording videos. The MC opened and warmly welcomed their arrival, followed by remarks from school representatives. “From the tip of Aceh, the first time to Java, many cultural differences are found so that we have to adapt a lot. Therefore, please apologize if there are mistakes made by our students,” said one of the accompanying teachers who gave a speech.

Next, they watched video screenings and quizzes. This session not only practiced concentration, but also increased knowledge about Universitas Gadjah Mada and the Faculty of Cultural Sciences in particular. To add more insight to the students, an additional session was provided, namely a sharing session of Prof. Irwan’s journey from Aceh to become a professor at UGM. He gave motivation that villagers can go international if they go to UGM. FIB also does not see where we are from because everyone is diverse, “Acehnese nutrition is still good because they eat fish, which is lacking in business, so let’s try and Insha Allah we will meet again here,” he said. Mas Yusuf, who is the staff of the academic and student affairs department, also conveyed some more specific things about academics, and introduced the web which has complete information. The students’ enthusiasm was even more apparent during the questioning session. The event was closed with a very entertaining performance from the students.

SDG 4: Quality education | SDGs 4: Education for sustainability | SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth | SDGs 8: Decent work for all | SDGs 9: Affordable access | SDG 10: Reduced inequalities | SDGs 10: Education | SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities | SDGs 11: Adaptable | SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions | SDGs 16: Accountable institutions

The happy graduates and their parents were present at the Raden Soegondo Building Auditorium, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM / to take part in the Mangayubagya Graduate Program Graduate Program Third period Academic Year 2023/2024 on April 24, 2024. As usual before starting the event, do not forget the Master of Ceremony, which at that time was entrusted to Vivin and Diyah, conveyed some information for safety and smoothness during the event. The audience was then asked to stand while the Dean, Deputy Dean, Head of Department, and Head of Postgraduate Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada entered the ceremony room. After all attendees were in the room, the MC welcomed everyone. 

The event began with several speeches. The first speech, from the Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, will be represented by the Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, M.Hum. The second speech will be delivered by the Deputy Graduate of the Middle East Cultural Studies Master Program, Br. Rafika Fidlaty Zulfa, M.A. The event continued with the presentation of Beksan Nirbaya Dance performed by FIB UGM students who are members of the Sastro Obah student activity unit. Beksan Nirbaya or Edan-edanan dance is one of dozens of dances in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. The dance is named “Edan-edanan Nirbaya Dance”. “Nir” which means reject, “Baya” which means danger so that this dance is interpreted as a dance that rejects danger, especially during the wedding procession or other major events. With four dancers and pairs, this dance was created not only as a ritual to repel bad luck, but also as entertainment.

The next event was the submission of graduation documents consisting of English diplomas and transcripts. The graduation documents were submitted by each Head of Study Program to the graduates. The graduates came forward in an orderly manner to receive the graduation documents followed by a group photo. Before closing, the event was paused for a moment to pray for protection and safety for us and goodness for the Faculty of Cultural Sciences. The joint prayer was led by Br. Cahya Daru, M.A. Finally, the Dean, Deputy Deans, Heads of Departments, and Heads of Postgraduate Study Programs, Faculty of Sciences followed by graduates and parents / guardians were allowed to leave the ceremony room. The organizing committee would like to thank you for your presence in this mangayubagya event.

SDGs 4: Quality Education | SDGs 5: Gender Equality | SDGs 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | SDGs 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure | SDGs 17: Partnerships for the Goals

On Tuesday, April 30, 2024, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences received a visit from ASIA to JAPAN. During this visit, Masato Sampei, the CEO of ASIA to JAPAN, provided important information regarding opportunities to work in Japan. In his presentation, he explained several key points such as the company profile, partner companies, and general requirements to work in Japan. Additionally, on this occasion, he also introduced several alumni from major universities in Indonesia who have joined ASIA to JAPAN and will be heading to Japan.

The enthusiasm shown was not only from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences but also from the Faculty of Engineering, indicating that the interest in working in Japan is quite widespread. This is because Japan is known as one of the advanced countries with rapidly developing industries and advanced technology, making it interesting to many students who want to develop their careers in these fields.

Visits and socializations like this are expected to provide students with a better understanding of job opportunities abroad, as well as the preparations needed to achieve them, including understanding company profiles, cooperation, and required qualifications. Hopefully, this event will be the first step for many students to pursue their dreams in an international career.

SDGs 4: Quality Education

On Friday, February 23, 2024, the Department of Anthropology at Universitas Gadjah Mada, specifically within the doctoral program in Anthropology, held an open seminar on the results of a PhD dissertation research in Anthropology. This seminar served as the final presentation before presenting the full results of the dissertation. The event took place at Soegondo Building, 7th floor, at 13:00 WIB and was attended by Prof. Dr. Paschalis Maria Laksono, M.A. as the supervising professor, Prof. Dr. Bambang Hudayana, M.A., Dr. Elan Lazuardi, S.Ant, M.A., and the students. The dissertation seminar was reviewed by Dr. Pande Made Kutanegara, M.Si., Dr. Mohamad Yusuf, M.A., Dr. Sita Hidayah, S.Ant, M.A. The dissertation research conducted by Prima Dona Hapsari was carried out in Dukuh Penaban, Karangasem, Bali. The focus of this dissertation was to examine Balinese lontar manuscripts from an anthropological perspective. The research aimed to explore the emergence, development, factors, and actors influencing the existence of Balinese lontar manuscripts.

According to Prima Dona Hapsari’s presentation, reading lontar manuscripts has been a tradition in Bali’s customary villages. However, nowadays, some people are beginning to abandon this practice due to certain lontar manuscripts being prohibited from being read by the general public. Despite this, lontar manuscripts are still recited during Ngaben ceremonies to ensure that everyone can hear the ritual even if not everyone understands it, as these texts are considered ritual experiences rather than memorization material. However, there is now a movement to reread Balinese lontar manuscripts emerging from both the Triwangsa (Brahmana, Kesatria, Waisya) and Jaba (intellectual group outside the caste system in Bali) groups.

Chronologically, in 2013, the emergence of the Bali Language Care Activists forced the inclusion of Balinese language into the 2013 curriculum. This step was taken to ensure that students could at least be introduced to lontar manuscripts. It is also stated that important actors influencing the existence of Balinese lontar manuscripts include the Bendesa of Dukuh Penaban and Penedun customary villages, as well as the readers of Balinese lontar manuscripts.

After the presentation, there were several responses from discussants and supervising professors. One of them was from Prof. Dr. Paschalis Maria Laksono, M.A., who focused on the content of the dissertation. He stated that the dissertation is an excellent example for future anthropology studies. “This writing actually aligns with the questions in the last presidential debate about culture, that the condition of community destruction due to village tourism,” he continued. In that debate, the question was raised about what policy would be taken to make the community responsive. According to Prof. Dr. Paschalis Maria Laksono, M.A., the answer to this question can be found in this dissertation. He emphasized that this situation represents a cultural murder. “For example, in the Ngaben ceremony, which should be described in more detail. Because within it, there is an anti-structure where the presence of lontar, which I feel is specifically placed in Ngaben, gives rise to a responsive community,” Prof. Dr. Paschalis Maria Laksono, M.A. concluded.

Author: Bonifacius Edo Wisnu Waskita