From January 1st, 2023 to January 1st, 2024, Brigita Sekar, a student from the English Department, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, had the valuable opportunity to be an intern at a multinational company, SAP. This internship was organized through the SAP Student Training and Rotation (STAR) program, which is specifically designed to provide practical work experience for undergraduate students.

As a company running in software and technology, SAP offered Brigita the chance to engage in various divisions within the company during the internship. It did not only provide practical insights into various operational aspects of the company but also helped Brigita develop her soft skills. By participating in various projects and teams, she could enhance her interpersonal skills, such as leadership and communication skills, which are valuable in a professional working environment.

Moreover, she had the opportunity to visit Singapore for free as part of an office visit or to explore SAP’s office in Singapore for two weeks. This opportunity aimed to provide valuable experience in skill and capability development. Besides gaining insights from the working environment at the SAP office, this event also provided opportunities to learn more about the industry and work culture in the country. During these two weeks, Brigita had the chance to directly engage in office activities, interact with colleagues from diverse backgrounds, and gain in-depth insights into business practices in Singapore. This experience also allowed her to build a broader professional network by interacting with professionals from various parts of the SAP office, potentially paving the way for future collaborations.

Through Brigita’s experience, we can learn that internships for students are not just additional activities but an integral part that cannot be separated from the higher education process. These experiences do not only provide direct understanding of working environment and related industries but also serve as a foundation that strengthens and prepares students to face the increasingly complex challenges in the professional working environment.

Photo 1: Interview Visit for Press Release SAP and Arya Noble dengan CIO (Chief of Information Officer) Arya Noble, Yonathan Moniaga, Rizka Laksmi (Communications Lead for SAP Indonesia), and Lili Hartono (Industry Account Executive, SAP Indonesia)

Thursday, January 18, 2024 – The Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM) received a school visitation from SMA Negeri 16 Surabaya at the Soegondo Auditorium on the 7th floor of the Soegondo Building, from 9:00 – 11:00 Western Indonesian Time (GMT+7). The visit was aimed as to provide insights for the high school students of  SMA Negeri 16 Surabaya about various universities located outside of Surabaya.

The visit was opened with a short welcome speech by Swety Firmanti, representing the FIB’s Public Relations and Cooperation Unit, followed by a presentation of the visitation vision and mission by the SMA Negeri 16 Surabaya chaperone. After the presentation, they were shown two videos featuring profiles of UGM and the FIB, which increased their curiosity about the university brand known as “Blue Campus.” This was evidenced by more than 10 students asking questions about the university, ranging from courses, job prospects, to alumni records. The event then ended with a photo session and a souvenir handover by SMA Negeri 16 Surabaya to the FIB UGM.

The existence of these visiting activities that various secondary schools often carry out is expected to open the minds of students to the various choices of study programs available at the FIB UGM, so that they can choose a study program or major that is in line with their interests and talents.

Lexicon is a journal published by the English Department, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, in collaboration with the English Studies Association in Indonesia (ESAI). Lexicon was successfully accredited by SINTA Rank 3 from Volume 8 Number 2 of 2021 to Volume 13 Number 1 of 2026.

Until now, 8 of the 14 journals within the Faculty of Cultural Sciences have been accredited by SINTA.

Website  Accreditation Letter

The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Development Training Workshop is a workshop event held by the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, on Wednesday, January 17th, 2024. As part of UGM’s goal of openness of educational information through online courses accessible to the public, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM held a workshop event for educators and lecturers in the faculty. A total of 31 participants from the ranks of educators and lecturers from several study programs at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM participated in the training event held in Room 709, Soegondo Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, from 09.00 – 13.00 Western Indonesian Time (GMT+7).

The workshop agenda began with an opening and guidance session by the Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, Prof. Dr. Setiadi, M.Si., S.Sos., followed by a presentation session on the technical aspects and development flow of Massive Open Online Courses that are published through the mooc.ugm.ac.id website by Mr. Wisaksono Adhi, S.PT., from the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing. After the presentation session ended, all participants conducted a practice and discussion session to adapt and adjust to accessing the online courses offered by UGM.

Photo 1: Lecturers and Educators during Massive Open Online Courses Development Training Workshop

Photo 2: A presentation session on online course development

Image 1: Poster for the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) Development Training Workshop

On Wednesday, November 22, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM held a book review event named “Bedah Buku: Arung Samudera Nusantara dan Kosmopolis Rempah” in Room 709 of the Soegondo Building. This event is one of a series of the Seminar Series Kosmopolis Rempah, as the result of collaboration between the faculty along with Kundha Budaya DIY and the Tim Kosmopolis Rempah UGM.

This event was attended by Dr. Sri Margana, M. Hum. as a speaker and book author. Apart from that, there were three responders with different scientific backgrounds, namely Dr. Widya Fitria Ningsih, History lecturer at FIB UGM; Prof. Dr. M. Baiquni, M.A., Professor of Development Geography UGM; and Prof. Dr. Ir. Sri Gardjito, Spice Expert, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, UGM. There was also Prof. Dr. Mustofa, M.Kes., Professor of Pharmacology and Therapy FKKMK UGM and Head of the Tim Kosmopolis Rempah UGM, as the moderator.

Sri Margana started the event by explaining the background to the writing and substance of her book. He said that his book is a response to an application of “Jalur Rempah” as a world heritage by the Indonesian government and the establishment of the Spice Cosmopolis Research Unit at UGM. According to him, the term Jalur Rempah is problematic because it refers to a colonial trade route marked only by physical colonial remains, such as forts and ports. Starting from this issue, he proposed to highlight the influence of spices themselves, namely the creation of a culture of using spices. Therefore, he uses the term “cosmopolis” because the culture of spices has spread throughout the world. He also proposed the word “cosmopolis” to name the UGM Spice Cosmopolis Research Unit.

Widya as the first responder then highlighted this book from a historiographic perspective. According to her, the dominant use of foreign sources can be an opportunity for further studies to use local sources. By using local sources, local perspectives that are not recorded by foreign sources can be told. Apart from that, she also hopes that there will be further studies on spices in Indonesia from a gender perspective. According to her, the historiography on this matter is still dominated by narratives about men’s roles. In fact, spice culture cannot be separated from the role of women, such as in trading, planting and processing spices.

After that, the presentation was continued by Prof. Baiquni, emphasizing the strong connection between history and geography. From the spice trade, humans have established relationships with their environment. The role of spices in human life cannot be completely replaced by current technology. Therefore, spices can be a reminder for people to preserve their environment.

Relations between people from different islands to continents were also established through the spice trade. This relationship then produces a cultural product, one of which is food. Prof. Sri Gardjito explained that spices and the sea as trade intermediaries greatly influenced our food today. From spices and the sea, there is intercultural interaction which results in a combination of processing techniques, ingredients, and even the taste of food. This is considered to be the impact of the cosmopolitan spice trade. One example of the results of the spice trade is black pepper chili sauce, which still exists today and the spices have not changed.