Yogyakarta, 24 February 2026 – The Korean Language and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada held a public lecture on Tuesday, 24 February 2026. The event took place following the scholarship award ceremony and was conducted alongside the Academic Korean Language class.

The lecture was delivered by Mr. Ahn Gyeong Hwan, Operations Director of PT. Komitrando. On this occasion, he presented a session titled Work Strategies in Korean Companies in Indonesia and Understanding Workplace Culture, which explored career opportunities in Korean companies, required qualifications, and the dynamics of Korean work culture (K-Work Culture).

Mr. Ahn explained that Indonesia–Korea cooperation is currently entering an increasingly strategic phase, marked by expanding collaboration across various sectors, from manufacturing to finance and information technology. He emphasized that in a professional context, language can be understood as a “tool” that facilitates work processes. While tasks may still be completed without such a tool, possessing the right tool—in this case, Korean language proficiency—makes work more effective, efficient, and value-added.

He further outlined the profile sought by Korean companies: individuals who can serve as a “bridge,” demonstrate strong business communication skills, understand hierarchy and workplace ethics within Korean corporate culture, and exhibit responsibility and teamwork.

In the concluding session, Mr. Ahn shared practical tips on CV preparation, writing a motivation letter, and strategies for job interviews. Students followed the lecture attentively, reflecting strong interest in career opportunities within Korean companies.

Through this public lecture, students gained not only a broader understanding of employment opportunities in Korean companies but also more concrete insight into industry expectations for graduates of Korean Language and Culture. The session is expected to broaden students’ perspectives on career readiness, strengthen awareness of the importance of applicable language competence in business contexts, and encourage continuous professional development. The event thus represents a strategic step in bridging academia and the professional world.

Author: Eunike Serafia N.S

Yogyakarta, February 24, 2026 — The Korean Language and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, once again demonstrated its commitment to enhancing educational quality through the awarding of scholarships to outstanding students. The scholarships granted in this semester include the KAGAMA Scholarship for the even semester of Academic Year 2025/2026, the KOCHAM Scholarship, and the KOMITRANDO Scholarship.

The event was held at Soegondo Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Rooms 521–522, from 1:00 to 1:30 PM (WIB). It was attended by representatives of KOMITRANDO, all scholarship recipients, and students enrolled in the Academic Korean Language course.

The program began with an opening by the Master of Ceremony, followed by remarks from Achmad Rio Dessiar, B.A., M.A., Ph.D., Head of the Korean Language and Culture Study Program. In his speech, he expressed his appreciation to the scholarship recipients as well as to the partner institutions for their continued support in strengthening the quality of higher education. The remarks were followed by a speech from Ms. Irene, Operational Director of KOMITRANDO.

Following the speeches, the event proceeded with the scholarship awarding session. The KAGAMA Korea Scholarship was presented first to ten high-achieving students as recognition of their academic excellence. This scholarship is awarded every semester with a grant of IDR 1,000,000 per student. The recipients are as follows:

1. Angela Marta Putri Ajita (GPA 3.73)
2. Rabia Nur Aisyah (GPA 3.70)
3. Azzahra Ika Novitasari (GPA 3.68)
4. Meilia Sekar Arum (GPA 3.68)
5. Ardhanika Brahmadhinata (GPA 3.82)
6. Allysa Fadhia Pramudita (GPA 3.77)
7. Gabriela Putri Ratnaningtyas (GPA 3.75)
8. Dinar Insan Sakinah (GPA 4.00)
9. Farida Hanum (GPA 4.00)
10. Xadiyazelda Rajafathi Wibowo (GPA 3.94)

The ceremony continued with the awarding of the KOCHAM Scholarship to five students, each receiving IDR 5,000,000. The recipients are:

1. Alma Naya Kamila (GPA 3.82)
2. Salwa Aulia Maharani (GPA 3.78)
3. Tamara Nasrina Prameswari (GPA 3.94)
4. Irene Xaviera Lovryna (GPA 3.87)
5. Brigitta Angela Limanto (GPA 3.85)

In the final session, the KOMITRANDO Scholarship was presented to two selected students. The scholarship is provided in the form of educational financial support to facilitate the recipients’ academic progress. The awardees are:

1. Theresia Chindyawati (GPA 3.89)
2. Difta Maulifa Sakina (GPA 3.85)

To conclude the event, Theresia and Difta delivered their impressions and messages as representatives of the KOMITRANDO scholarship recipients. They expressed their gratitude, describing the scholarship as both an honor and a motivation to continue striving for academic excellence and to complete their studies successfully.

The event concluded with a group photo session involving all scholarship recipients.

This initiative not only served as an appreciation of students’ academic achievements but also as an inspiration for other students to pursue excellence, while reaffirming the commitment of the Korean Language and Culture Study Program to fostering an academic environment that supports educational sustainability and student development.

Author: Aura Adiba Wijaya Litianko

Yogyakarta, February 20, 2026 – The Campus Mosque of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) held a public lecture featuring Panut Mulyono, Rector of UGM for the 2017–2022 period, Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering UGM, and Chair of the Forum of Indonesian Rectors (2021–2022). In his lecture, Prof. Panut addressed the role of Natural Resources (SDA) and Human Resources (SDM) as fundamental capital for national development.

In his presentation, he emphasized that Indonesia is a nation blessed with a large population and abundant natural resources. However, these advantages must be managed properly through the development of high-quality human resources.

“With strong nationalism and a solid work ethic, we can achieve rapid progress,” he stated. He stressed that excellent human resources can only be produced through quality education.

Prof. Panut also highlighted the importance of learning from prominent national education figures such as Ki Hajar Dewantara, who laid the foundation of Indonesia’s educational philosophy. He further quoted Nelson Mandela, who once said that education is the most powerful weapon to change the world.

According to him, education plays a strategic role in determining a nation’s progress and independence. A country with a weak education system will struggle to advance and may even decline. Conversely, quality education serves as a tool to accelerate national progress, particularly in mastering science and technology and enhancing global competitiveness.

From an Islamic perspective, Prof. Panut connected the importance of education with Qur’anic teachings, particularly Surah Al-‘Alaq (1–5), which emphasizes the command to read and seek knowledge as part of worship to Allah SWT. He also referred to Surah Al-Mujadilah verse 11, which highlights the virtue of those who pursue knowledge.

Furthermore, he underlined the crucial role of higher education institutions in continuously improving and innovating within the higher education sector to achieve national independence more swiftly. Universities are expected not only to serve as centers of learning but also to generate tangible impacts in addressing socio-economic challenges, fostering inclusive innovation, and contributing more significantly to sustainable development.

This study aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), which promotes inclusive and equitable quality education; SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), through the enhancement of human resource quality and work ethic; and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), by strengthening the mastery of science and technology to drive national advancement.

Through this forum, the UGM Campus Mosque serves not only as a spiritual space but also as an intellectual platform that fosters strategic ideas for Indonesia’s progress toward becoming an independent and globally competitive nation.

[Public Relation of FIB UGM, Alma Syahwalani]

The Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada hosted the Workshop on Oral History in Southeast Asia, organized by SEASREP Foundation in collaboration with Sejarah Lisan on 9–11 February 2026 at the FIB UGM Multimedia Room. The program was designed for postgraduate students and early-career researchers in Southeast Asia to strengthen their methodological, ethical, and conceptual capacities in oral history research, amid ongoing challenges in historical production often shaped by political interests and archival limitations.

The workshop was organized in response to the growing need to document life histories, testimonies, and field narratives that are frequently absent from official records. Across Southeast Asia, state violence, the silencing of archives and media, and the revision of historical narratives have significantly influenced how history is produced and disseminated.

In recent years, the region has witnessed efforts to reassess past violence in Indonesia, the rise of ethno-nationalist interpretations in Malaysia, the dominance of single-hero narratives in Singapore, and disputes over heritage sites along the Thailand–Cambodia border. These developments place marginalized voices at risk of being erased from collective memory.

Oral history and social history offer approaches to address these gaps. However, their practice entails methodological and ethical challenges, particularly when research touches upon politically and legally sensitive issues, trauma, and unequal access to information.

The workshop was designed to address the limited formal training in oral history available in the region. Many young researchers learn the method through practice without systematic preparation in interview design, interpretation, ethics, preservation, and public engagement. Through context-based training focused on Southeast Asia, participants were encouraged to understand oral history not merely as a technical tool, but as a critical concept and practice for reexamining how history is produced.

The three-day program adopted a phased approach. The first day explored the values and methodologies of oral history, including the development of interview guidelines and preparation for fieldwork challenges. The second day focused on interpretation, transcription, preservation, and publication, complemented by panel discussions and an oral history performance session to explore alternative narrative forms. The third day highlighted participants’ research presentations and discussions on ethical issues, power relations, and researchers’ responsibilities within complex socio-political environments.

Participants were expected to have an existing or planned research project based on oral history interviews. While there were no disciplinary restrictions, participants were required to actively share their experiences and engage in collective discussions.

Through a combination of lectures, panels, workshops, performances, and student presentations, the organizers emphasized active participation and community building. The workshop aimed to establish a network of oral history researchers in Southeast Asia and Japan committed to collaboration and non-exploitative research practices.

By the end of the program, participants were expected to understand the full stages of oral history research and its potential challenges, be able to design context-sensitive and ethically grounded interviews, and gain a deeper awareness of power relations and researcher positionality in fieldwork. They were also encouraged to view oral history as a means of critically engaging with dominant state narratives and expanding historical representation.

The workshop underscores the importance of strengthening academic capacity that upholds diversity of voices and social responsibility. Building a collaborative and reflective research community represents a strategic step toward ensuring that history is written not only by those in power, but also by those who have long remained at the margins of dominant narratives.

[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]

Dili, Timor Leste, 13 February 2026 – The Dili Institute of Technology (DIT) facilitated a meeting between the delegation team from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) and Keluarga Alumni Gadjah Mada (KAGAMA) Timor Leste. The meeting was guided by the spirit of “learning from the past, reflecting on the present, for our better shared future” as the foundation for collaboration.

Held at the DIT campus, the meeting was attended by prominent figures, including Manuel Vong, Ph.D., Chair of KAGAMA Timor Leste (former Minister of Tourism of Timor Leste and former Rector of DIT); Aderita Mariana Takeleb, M.Sc., Vice Rector for Academic Affairs at DIT; Napoleon, Head of Fiscal Affairs of KAGAMA; the Dean of the Faculty of Tourism at DIT; Mica Barreto Soares, Ph.D., Director of the MBA Program at DIT; Celline, Head of the Center for Cultural and Arts Studies at Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa’e (UNTL); as well as lecturers and researchers from UNTL’s Faculty of Social Sciences, many of whom have written extensively on Indonesia–Timor Leste relations.

In his remarks, the Chair of KAGAMA Timor Leste emphasized that the organization’s current strategic programs focus on improving welfare through the agriculture and fisheries sectors, clean and healthy politics, tourism–arts–industry, and sustainable creative culture. Social inequality remains a primary concern, and collaboration with UGM is expected to strengthen quality education and research as key foundations for addressing these disparities.

The meeting produced several short-term follow-up initiatives, including:

• Training on article writing (both technical and substantive aspects) and journal management and development;

• Collaboration between UGM and KAGAMA Timor Leste in media news writing (public relations and communications);

• Organizing a sport tourism event in the form of a heritage fun walk, involving students from UNTL and DIT as the organizing committee;

• A Literary Festival through UGM’s international community service program (KKN) in border areas, in response to a request from the Education and Cultural Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Timor Leste for arts training programs (including gamelan, Indonesia–Timor Leste collaborative dance, and the writing of folk tale books).

UGM and KAGAMA Timor Leste also agreed to adopt a cultural approach as the foundation for cooperation across higher education institutions in Timor Leste. This synergy is expected to broaden the societal impact of knowledge and scholarship, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

The visit conducted by Universitas Gadjah Mada received support and sponsorship from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) as the main sponsor of the organization Cultivating the Humanities and Social Sciences and Supporting Under-Represented Scholars of Asia (CHSS). CHSS itself is a transnational inclusivity initiative established by the Association for Asian Studies (AAS).

[Public Relation of FIB UGM, Alma Syahwalani]