The Association of Middle Eastern Cultural Studies Graduate Students at Universitas Gadjah Mada (IMABTA UGM) together with the Indonesian Students Association for the Middle East and Africa (PPIDK Timtengka) successfully organized the KBTT Expo: Sharing Session on Thursday, June 13, 2024, at 16:00 online. The event featured two speakers: Prof. Dr. Sangidu, M.Hum., Head of the Intercultural Department at UGM, and Dr. Mahmudah, M.Hum., Secretary of the Intercultural Department at UGM. Participants included students from Indonesian universities and several universities in the Middle East, namely Egypt and South Africa. They were very enthusiastic about the event, as evidenced by the many questions asked during the Q&A session.

The goal of the KBTT UGM Expo: Sharing Session was to provide detailed information and understanding to students, both in Indonesia and the Middle East, regarding the application process, courses in the KBTT UGM Master’s program, and scholarship opportunities. Prof. Sangidu mentioned that the requirements and application procedures can be accessed through the website um.ugm.ac.id. The KBTT UGM Master’s program has collaborated with several universities in Egypt, giving students the opportunity to participate in student exchanges with institutions such as Suez Canal University, Ain Shams University, and Benha University. Regarding the courses, Dr. Mahmudah presented the graduate profiles and research prospects in KBTT UGM. In the future, students in the program will not be limited to literary or linguistic studies but can also engage in intercultural studies, examining culture through the disciplines of anthropology, philosophy, or Islamic studies.

UGM Anthropology Department collaborated with Faculty of Social Science Chiang Mai University (CMU) Thailand to Organize Summer Course “Knowledge Enhancement Program” from June 8-14, 2024. The program, attended by 9 CMU students from Myanmar, China, Japan, Thailand, and 8 UGM Anthropology Department students, included activities such as lectures, fieldwork at three locations in Yogyakarta (Panggungharjo Village, Kaliurang, and Kali Code Village), and presentations of field findings.

The Summer Course aims to provide CMU and UGM students the opportunity to explain the conditions of their respective countries, particularly regarding economic, environmental, social, or cultural aspects of regional economic development. This is expected to foster sensitivity and critical thinking towards everyday issues through participation in field activities. Additionally, the program seeks to offer opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students and scholars from ASEAN countries to exchange and share their knowledge and culture with fellow students and academics, fostering inter-university regional relationships.

On Saturday, June 8, 2024, 9 CMU students arrived in Yogyakarta accompanied by Dr. Putthida. On Monday, June 10, 2024, the Summer Course was officially opened by the Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at UGM, Prof. Setiadi, followed by lectures from UGM Anthropology lecturers: Zamzam Fauzanafi, Ph.D., Prof. Pujo Semedi, and Dr. Pande Made Kutanegara, who provided an overview of the three fieldwork areas.

On Tuesday, June 11, 2024, CMU and UGM students, accompanied by Agung Wicaksono, Ph.D., and Dr. Putthida, began fieldwork in Panggungharjo with the topic “The Development of Yogyakarta’s Peri-Urban Regions.” At the site, students conducted observations and interviews with local residents about the changes in Panggungharjo over time, from land use changes to waste management innovations by the Panggungharjo Village Government, which has become a model for public service management.

The fieldwork continued to the second location in Kaliurang, specifically in Padukuhan Kaliurang Timur, with the theme “The Wealth and Poverty in Rural Yogyakarta.” Similar to previous activities, each CMU student was paired with a UGM student as a translator. In Kaliurang, participants received materials on the causes and impacts of poverty experienced by the local community and visitors.

On Wednesday, June 12, 2024, Summer Course participants continued fieldwork in Kampung Kalicode. There, they met with Pak Totok, a tour guide, who explained the history of Kampung Kalicode. This fieldwork focused on the theme “Inter-Ethnicity Relations in Yogyakarta City,” observing the dynamics and relationships between ethnic and religious groups in Kampung Kalicode.

To conclude the Summer Course, on Thursday, June 13, 2024, students were asked to present their findings from the fieldwork. Each student offered their perspectives and reflections based on what they discovered in their country and fieldwork areas. Dr. Putthida, who accompanied the CMU students, hoped that the UGM-CMU Summer Course would contribute significantly to national and regional efforts toward development and tolerance of socio-economic, political, and cultural diversity, which are key to successful regional integration.

Authors: Bety Oktaviani & Vincamira Tasha Florika

On June 14, 2024, the French Language and Literature Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) received a donation of Italian books from Laura Romano. Laura Romano is an Italian language lecturer who taught in the French Literature Program at UGM from around 2003 to 2009. Currently, Laura Romano is an Indonesian citizen originally from Italy and a practitioner of Sumarah. She now resides in the city of Solo.

The books donated by Laura Romano came from her personal library. The shipment included 10 boxes of books categorized into several themes. These categories included Philosophy and History, Italian Language Lessons, Novels, Spirituality, as well as CDs and DVDs. The total number of books, CDs, and DVDs donated reached 261 items. The collection is quite diverse, with one of the notable works being an Italian version of Marcel Proust’s writings. Additionally, many of the CDs and DVDs are Italian-language films, including the movie “La Neve nel Cuore.”

Laura Romano hopes that this book donation will be beneficial for the Italian language learning activities at UGM. Moreover, for those who wish to learn through films or educational videos, the CDs and DVDs she provided are available. She also hopes that these books will help introduce Italian culture more broadly within the UGM community.

On Saturday, June 8, 2024, from 9:10 AM to 1:00 PM, undergraduate anthropology students from various cohorts and students from other study programs who took cross-departmental courses in anthropology participated in a rendang cooking event at the Selasar Soegondo Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). This event was part of the Sumatra Ethnography course, which discusses Minangkabau culture, and aimed to instill respect and appreciation for cultural differences and ancestral heritage. The event was directly guided by the course supervisor, Agus Indiyanto, S.Sos., M.Si., who has ethnographic research experience in Minangkabau.

Rendang is a traditional Indonesian dish originating from Minangkabau, West Sumatra, known for its long cooking process to achieve rich flavors and tender meat texture. In this event, the rendang cooking process was done using a quicker method with two stoves: one for cooking the meat and the other for cooking the coconut milk, which would later be combined. The basic spices for cooking rendang were provided by the committee, but the students had to bring their own cooking utensils and were divided into seven groups, each consisting of 10-11 people.

The cooking activity began with a briefing from Agus Indiyanto about the ingredients and the method of cooking rendang. After the briefing, the students took the necessary ingredients and started the cooking process in their respective groups. Each group was free to innovate by adding their own additional spices, resulting in different rendang variations from each group. During the cooking process, the lecturer moved around to monitor and provide guidance to each group. Once finished, the rendang was presented to the lecturer for evaluation based on appearance and taste.

This quicker cooking process demanded a highly systematic method. Many groups failed because they did not stir the rendang continuously, even though one of the secrets to delicious rendang is the proper cutting technique and long cooking time. According to Agus Indiyanto, through this event, students became more understanding and appreciative of traditional food. Despite the significant effort required, this activity aimed to teach appreciation for cultural differences by experiencing firsthand how challenging it is to make traditional dishes.

Author: Afif Naufal Widiadi