In a groundbreaking collaborative effort, Yogyakarta’s Gadjah Mada University (UGM) has joined hands with 12 prominent Asian universities to spearhead the establishment of the Asian Journal Network (AJN). Vice-Rector for Education and Teaching, Prof. Dr. Wening Udasmoro, S.S., M.Hum, D.A., said that this is a precaution and safeguard for social humanities educators from the clutches of so-called ‘predatory’ journals.

The primary objective of forming the Asian Journal Network is to ensure that social humanities journals uphold the highest standards of quality, free from the undue influence of financial interests. As Prof. Wening aptly puts it, this initiative aims to liberate these academic platforms from the constraints of profit-driven operations. Speaking on the matter, Prof. Wening emphasized, 

“So that various social humanities journals rely on quality and are not trapped in the way journals work with a financial orientation,” Prof. Wening said during a statement made on Thursday, October 5.

Furthermore, the creation of the Asian Journal Network serves a broader purpose of revitalizing the fundamental role of academic journals as fertile grounds for rigorous scholarly discourse and knowledge production. Prof. Wening noted that the Faculty of Cultural Sciences recently played host to this significant development, emphasizing the network’s commitment to nurturing academic exchange.

Among the distinguished nations participating in this monumental endeavour are the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, and Japan. UGM’s initiative extends its collaborative efforts to include established journals of international repute, such as Kritika Kultura, Concentric, Kritike, Forum for World Literature, Winchen Review, Foreign Literature Studies, Wacana, and CSEAS (Kyoto).

Prof. Wening underscores that the establishment of AJN aligns with a broader vision of enhancing the quality of education—a goal in harmony with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By elevating the standard of education, this initiative aspires to bolster Indonesia’s human development index, ultimately enhancing the nation’s competitiveness in supporting the 2030 SDGs agenda. AJN represents a pivotal step toward realizing these vital educational and developmental objectives

Monday (2/10/2023) The Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada recently hosted a discussion on Critical Island Studies with 12 universities from across Asia such as Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, China and Japan. Scholars, researchers, and experts in the field of cultural studies gathered to discuss the cultural, social, economic, and environmental challenges that island communities face. They explored interdisciplinary research and collaboration as a means to address these challenges. The participants discussed several topics: sustainable development, cultural preservation, climate change, and social justice. 

UGM Vice-Rector for Education and Teaching, Wening Udasmoro, said the event aimed to strengthen perspectives on equality and natural issues. “It is in line with SDGs goals 5 (gender equality), 10 (sustainable cities and settlements), 13 (climate change management), 14 (marine ecosystems), and 15 (terrestrial ecosystems),” said Wening in her statement on Wednesday (4/10/2023).

Wening also mentioned that Critical Island Studies is a relatively new field in Indonesia, and the participants’ spirit and engagement were quite remarkable. The event provided an excellent opportunity for participants to learn and exchange ideas on how to address some of the most pressing issues facing our planet. The discussions centred around critical island studies, a field that examines the relationship between islands and the environment, including the challenges and opportunities that come with it

“More than 100 presenters sent their abstracts with studies from various perspectives. More than half of the CIS presenters came from abroad, namely from the Philippines, Japan, Australia, South Korea, China, the Netherlands, and Taiwan,” she said.

Keynote speakers of the conference are an archaeologist from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM Daud Aris Tanudirdjo, and a professor from Ateneo de Manila University Oscar Campomanes. The two-day event at UGM and Sanata Dharma also included the signing of a cooperation agreement to strengthen the Critical Island Studies consortium and the Asian Journal Network meeting.

Throughout history, the Arab world has been a subject of fascination due to its unique blend of contrasting elements. The Arab identity has always been marked by a struggle between unity and fragmentation, tradition and modernity, and religious and secular values. The Arabs are often seen as the East that is trying to catch up with the West, which is considered the epitome of progress and prosperity, especially in the fields of culture and literature.

Recently, Professor Dr. Fadlil Munawwar Manshur was inaugurated as Professor of Arabic Culture at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada. In his inaugural speech, he discussed the Arab nation and its cultural and literary heritage, which has gone through many transformations over time. He talked about the connection between Arabic and Western cultures from the perspective of symbolic interactionism.

During his speech, he presented five conclusions regarding the contiguity of Arab culture with Western culture. First, the Arab intellectuals reached their peak of glory due to the brain drain movement, which saw many Arab scientists and writers studying and perfecting Western scientific theories. Secondly, the symbol of bees and honey represents the power of cultural and scientific energy in the revival of Arab culture.

Thirdly, Christian scholars played a vital role in preserving the ancient Greek heritage, which included extensive transmission from Greek to Syriac literature and transmission from Syriac to Arabic literature. In social intercourse between Arab-Islam and Christianity, there was a great harmony and warmth. Fourth, the symbols of the sword and pen represent Arab heroism and intellectualism, where the sword symbolizes strength and power, and the pen symbolizes kindness, peace, and love of knowledge.

Finally, Fadlil discussed how modern Arab society is depicted in four novels that symbolize the power of ideology, immigration, superiorism, and agilism in Arab culture. He explained that cultural contiguity with other cultures needs to be strengthened by the concepts of structure, function, communication, and relations. In terms of praxis, he emphasized that cultural contiguity theory should provide a blueprint for concrete, applicable, and specific methods to integrate human work into its socio-cultural context.

In conclusion, Fadlil’s speech highlighted the need to strengthen the relationship between Arab and Western cultures, which can help us better understand the complex and diverse Arab world.

The Faculty of Cultural Sciences is hosting a seminar that is set to be an insightful and informative event for those concerned about child welfare and education. The seminar is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 21 September 2023. This seminar was convened by Dr Agus Suwignyo (from the Department of History) and featured two distinguished keynote speakers who will address pressing issues related to children’s education by religious organizations in Indonesia during the 1880s-1980s.

The two speakers have impressive backgrounds and expertise in their respective fields. First on the list is Prof. dr. Marit Monteiro, an expert in colonial and postcolonial educational practices. Prof. Monteiro will speak about “Child Segregation,” exploring some conceptual frameworks surrounding this topic and shedding light on the historical context of the issue. Her insights are sure to be enlightening for anyone seeking to understand the root causes of child segregation and how it can be addressed.

The second speaker, Dr. Maaike Derksen, will present cases from Java and Papua New Guinea, highlighting the challenges children’s institutions and orphanages face. Dr. Derksen has extensive experience working with various organizations that deal with child welfare issues in Indonesia and the surrounding regions. Her presentation is expected to be informative and insightful, providing attendees with a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by children’s institutions and orphanages.

The seminar came out as an engaging and thought-provoking event, with attendees encouraged to register in advance to secure their spot. With two distinguished speakers, the event is sure to be a valuable opportunity for anyone interested in learning more about children’s education, welfare, and the challenges faced by religious organizations in Indonesia during the 1880s-1980s.

Friday, 29 September 2023, the Department of Anthropology held a public lecture class entitled “Pursuing a Career in Defence and Security”. This forum presented a speaker who has a career in defence and security, namely one of the investigators of the South Jakarta Metro Police, Brigadier Eko Hardiyanto, S. Ant., M.A.. Brigadier Eko is an Alumni of the Cultural Anthropology study programme in 2010. The forum was hosted by one of the Anthropology lecturers, Dr Pande Made Kutanegara, M.Si.

Brigadier Eko told how he got his job. Brigadier Eko also explained how he carried out his work as an investigator, some examples are as follows. First, the title of the case to provide legal certainty for the case being handled. Second, conducting appeals to the public regarding law enforcement and crime. Third, increasing the competence capacity of investigators through training.

In this forum Brigadier Eko also explained how the contribution of Anthropology studies in carrying out his work as a legal investigator. Participatory observation is one of the techniques used by Brigadier Eko in conducting investigations. “My frequent research experience in Anthropology has given me the knowledge on how to get data from the people we investigate. I also know whether the person is speaking the facts or not.”

Brigadier Eko also uses data triangulation techniques in processing investigation data. Brigadier Eko combines various data from various sources, which are then made into conclusions to decide the status of the case.

The discussion forum was made even more epic by the presence of fellow students of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences and alumni of the Cultural Anthropology study programme. Alumni who attended this forum also enlivened the discussion by sharing their respective career experiences. Such as Rudy Gunawan Erwinsyah who works as a researcher at the Indonesian National Research Agency and Ahmad Pradipta who also works in the field of defence and security.