On Thursday, 18 June 2026, the Cultural Anthropology Student Family (KEMANT) of Universitas Gadjah Mada held its annual Hearing Department event in Room 201 of the Poerbatjaraka Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) UGM, Yogyakarta. Running from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM WIB, the interactive dialogue was hosted by MC [Name] and moderated by Dionysius Nugroho Danumurti. The session was attended by student representatives across various cohorts alongside faculty members, including Agung Wicaksono, Sita Hidayah, Agus Indiyanto, Mubarika Dyah Fitri Nugraheni, Suzie Handajani, Atik Triratnawati, and Elan Lazuardi. The forum served as a communicative platform to gather, review, and address critical student feedback ranging from academic affairs and curriculum management to student organization governance and campus facility availability.

Through a presentation of pre-collected feedback slides, students highlighted several key issues affecting their daily learning environment. Core discussions focused on the disproportionate workload for introductory courses, course quota limitations during course registration (“War KRS”) that disadvantage internal anthropology students, clarity regarding the role and responsiveness of teaching assistants, and the need for greater transparency in grading. In response, the department welcomed the input constructively and committed to using these written recommendations as an official framework to push for policy improvements at both the faculty and university levels. Beyond classroom learning, the department outlined the strategic reasoning behind rescheduling the Integrated Fieldwork (TPL) to mid-year, primarily to mitigate the risks of natural disasters and extreme weather conditions typically affecting research sites toward the end of the year.

In addition to academic topics, the forum addressed physical infrastructure and internal organizational management. Students emphasized the importance of enhancing building accessibility for individuals with disabilities, reconfiguring classrooms to better facilitate group discussions, creating safe and comfortable public spaces, and optimizing place-of-worship facilities within the faculty grounds. Meanwhile, KEMANT officers took the opportunity to present a transparent financial report of the organization’s funds and introduced an updated leadership election mechanism designed to be more democratic, open, and accountable to all members.

The implementation of this participatory forum aligns closely with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within higher education. First, it directly advances SDG 4 (Quality Education) through a sustained commitment to improving teaching quality, ensuring fair curriculum adjustments, and fostering a conducive learning environment. Second, the emphasis on providing disability-friendly and fully accessible campus facilities reflects a concrete effort to support SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Lastly, the hearing embodies SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) by establishing a transparent, accountable, and responsive institutional governance framework for the entire academic community.

Author: Zayyan Faadia Ayutty

The Master’s Program in Linguistics at Universitas Gadjah Mada, through the Forensic Linguistics course taught by Dr. Sailal Arimi, M.Hum., in collaboration with the Criminal Investigation Unit (Sat Reskrim) of the Malinau Regional Police under the North Kalimantan Regional Police, organized a special technical lecture entitled Writing Expert Witness Examination Reports. The event was held on Thursday, 30 April 2026, in Courtroom 1 of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta.

In addition to being attended by the course instructor, who also serves as a language expert, the event was joined by students with an interest in Forensic Linguistics. Student participation aimed to introduce linguistic perspectives into the processes and practices of preparing expert witness statements, including understanding the chronology of legal cases, identifying legal subjects, analyzing language-related criminal complaints, and examining the precision of diction, narrative structure, and ambiguity avoidance in official examination reports (Berita Acara Pemeriksaan or BAP).

The event featured police investigators AIPDA Budi Hermansyah, S.H., and Bripda Abimanyu Akbar, S.H., from the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Malinau Regional Police, along with several graduate students in Linguistics. In their presentation, the investigators explained the distinction between preliminary inquiry (penyelidikan) and formal investigation (penyidikan). They emphasized that expert witness testimony constitutes one form of legal evidence (novum) necessary for bringing a case before the court. They also discussed recent developments in the implementation of Indonesia’s new Criminal Code (KUHP), particularly regarding the expansion of admissible legal evidence. Furthermore, they elaborated on cases commonly handled by investigators, ranging from violations of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UU ITE) to various forms of fraud, including phishing, scamming, and related cybercrimes.

Dr. Sailal Arimi, M.Hum., explained that “the involvement of students specializing in Forensic Linguistics in this activity represents part of the implementation of teaching alongside research, as well as an effort to strengthen the role of linguistics within the legal domain.” He further noted that this practitioner-based class has been conducted since 2019 for master’s and doctoral students enrolled in forensic linguistics courses.

During the question-and-answer session, students raised various inquiries concerning legal case management procedures, the eligibility of expert witnesses, and the types of cases most frequently encountered. One student participant, Moh. Nawalul Fawaid El Haqi, remarked that “this experience was extremely valuable. We learned that the meaning of a single word in an expert witness examination report can influence the direction of a judge’s decision. At the same time, investigators also learned to view expert testimony as a text that must be constructed on the basis of theoretical linguistic knowledge that we have studied thus far.”

The collaboration between the Master’s Program in Linguistics, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, and the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Malinau Regional Police represents a pioneering initiative in bridging police science and forensic linguistic analysis. This activity is expected to serve as a collaborative model for handling legal cases across regions—particularly between Kalimantan and Java—while enhancing the quality of investigations through an interdisciplinary approach at the national level.

Postgraduate students from the Master’s and Doctoral programmes in Arabic Language Education at Darussalam University (UNIDA) Gontor visited the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) at UGM for a joint public lecture with the Master’s Programme in Middle Eastern Cultural Studies (KBTT). The meeting took place in Room 709 of the Soegondo Building on Thursday, 23 July 2026. The event was opened by Dr Mahmudah, S.S., M.Hum., programme coordinator of the Master’s Programme in Middle Eastern Culture at Gadjah Mada University.

This event was organised as part of a goodwill visit and benchmarking exercise by UNIDA Gontor. Mahmudah explained that this collaboration will continue until 2030, as evidenced by the presence of several UNIDA students currently studying on the KBTT programme at UGM.

This interview session was also attended by two other speakers, namely Prof. Dr Syamsul Hadi, S.U., M.A. (Emeritus Professor in the Department of Intercultural Studies/Arabic Literature, Faculty of Humanities, UGM) and Prof. Dr Sangidu, M.Hum. (Professor of Modern Arabic Literature, Faculty of Humanities, UGM). During the session, Prof. Syamsul Hadi spoke briefly about the origins of this study programme.

“Initially, the Master’s Programme in Middle Eastern Cultural Studies was part of the UGM Graduate School, before moving and becoming the KBTT, which is now under the auspices of the Faculty of Humanities, UGM,” he explained.

This event clearly supports SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by fostering higher education collaboration between UNIDA Gontor and FIB UGM, which is set to continue through 2030.

[Author: Humas FIB, Zaidan Abdurrahman]

As part of the implementation of experiential learning, students in the Master’s Program in Anthropology at the Faculty of Humanities (FIB), UGM, conducted a field trip on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 to the Bonokeling Indigenous Community in Pekuncen Village, Jatilawang Subdistrict, Banyumas Regency, Central Java. This activity was a field component of the “Traditional Governance Systems” course taught by Dr. Sita Hidayah, M.A. The objective was to deepen students’ understanding of traditional governance practices, community management, and the dynamics of the relationship between traditional systems and formal government through an ethnographic approach.

The students were welcomed by Ki Soemitro, Chair of the Village Customary Council, and Pak Narso, Head of Pekuncen Village. The meeting served as a forum for dialogue on the history of the Bonokeling community, the structure of customary leadership, and the community’s close connection to their ancestors through the concept of anak-putu—a spiritual and genealogical bond that forms the foundation of both the identity and social system of the Bonokeling community. Ki Soemitro explained that the survival of the indigenous community depends not only on written rules but also on the moral adherence of all anak-putu to the values inherited from Kyai Bonokeling. This system has proven capable of preserving traditional governance across generations amid the tide of modernization.

In addition to discussions, the students observed the architecture of traditional houses, communal spatial arrangements, and the conduct of traditional rituals. These observations and discussions revealed that indigenous communities possess the capacity for effective collective governance without relying entirely on formal bureaucratic structures. The Village Head explained that the formal government and traditional institutions do not compete with one another but rather complement each other. Village development policies are always consulted with traditional institutions to preserve and respect sacred spaces and the community’s cultural values. Conversely, various internal community issues—such as family disputes, social conflicts, or violations of customary norms—are resolved through customary deliberation before resorting to state legal mechanisms.

The Bonokeling community is open to technology, such as cell phones, yet remains vigilant to ensure that the values of individualism and consumerism do not supplant the principles of collective living inherited from their ancestors. Amid the tide of globalization, they face various challenges, ranging from adapting to state administrative regulations to the pressure of cultural commercialization through the tourism industry. In response, Ki Soemitro explained that the Bonokeling community employs a strategy of cultural resistance through a process of prudent negotiation. They comply with state administrative requirements to ensure the civil rights of their citizens, while still preserving Kejawen spiritual practices and value systems in their daily lives. Furthermore, traditional institutions strictly limit the commercialization of rituals to ensure that the sacred nature of traditions does not degenerate into mere tourist spectacles.

This activity provides a learning experience that goes beyond classroom instruction. Through direct observation, dialogue, and reflection with the indigenous community, students gain a more comprehensive understanding of traditional governance practices as a living, dynamic social system that continually adapts to the changing times.

Author: Dewi Widyastuti

On 17 June 2026, students on the Master’s Programme in Anthropology paid an academic visit to the home of the Indonesian writer, Ahmad Tohari, in Banyumas. The visit formed part of the learning process, providing an opportunity for reflection on the importance of literacy, advocacy for marginalized communities, and intellectual responsibility in producing written works that have an impact on society. The meeting was warm and inspiring for the students.

Ahmad Tohari shared the story of his journey to becoming recognised as one of Indonesia’s leading writers. He explained that becoming a writer is not an easy path. Perseverance, sensitivity to the lives of the community, and the courage to give voice to social realities were the key qualities that enabled him to produce works that remain relevant to this day. According to Ahmad Tohari, it is not enough for a writer simply to have the ability to string words together. Writers must also be able to give a voice to those who are often unheard, particularly marginalized communities facing various social issues. He expressed his concern that some contemporary literary works are beginning to lose their connection with the realities of grassroots communities and are becoming more market-oriented than focused on human values.

He urged the students to begin writing about the communities closest to them before seeking out distant or exotic subjects. He cited one of his own works, “Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk”, which draws on the Banyumas community where he was born and raised. This approach ultimately helped us, those present, to embrace the spirit of the decolonisation of knowledge—as an effort to build an understanding of Indonesian society without always relying on Western frameworks of thought. Whilst he did not explicitly mention the term ‘decolonisation’ during the discussion, throughout his career he has written from local perspectives and using local idioms; indeed, through every experience he shared, it was evident how that spirit manifested itself.

“Write; by writing, you exist.”

This message left the deepest impression on the students. For Ahmad Tohari, writing is not merely an academic activity or a profession, but a form of existence and a moral responsibility to document human experience, preserve collective memory, and champion the values of justice and humanity. Furthermore, this session offered a fresh perspective on the importance of ethnography and scholarly writing—work that not only meets academic standards but also brings tangible benefits to society. As aspiring researchers and academics, the students were encouraged to produce writing born of empathy, championing the interests of vulnerable groups, and serving as a bridge between knowledge and social change.

Author: Elsha Pipit Nathalia & Dewi Widyastuti

Photo Credits: Dr. Sita Hidayah, M.A.