On Wednesday, September 11, 2024, the Master’s Program in Middle Eastern Cultural Studies in collaboration with the Bachelor’s Program in Arabic Literature at Universitas Gadjah Mada held a National Seminar on the theme of Palestine: From Nakba to Tufan Al-Aqsa at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM. The event invited experts in Arabic literature and culture, namely Prof. Dr. Sangidu, M.Hum. and Prof. Dr. Fadlil Munawwar Manshur, M.S., from Gadjah Mada University and Dr. Uki Sukiman, M.Ag. from UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. The three speakers discussed the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from 1948 and the struggle of the Palestinian people to gain state sovereignty.

In the first session, Prof. Dr. Sangidu, M.Hum. raised the hot issue of the Palestinian people who on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 yesterday, commemorated 76 years of Nakba (the day of catastrophe or the day of disaster) which as is known that May 15, 1948 was the day of the outbreak of the first Arab-Israeli war. The first Arab-Israeli war in 1948 lasted for approximately 10 months until it ended in March 1949, with Arab defeat. The Gaza War or Operation Tufan Al-Aqsa, which erupted on October 7, 2023, deserves to be called the second Nakba because this operation was the largest Palestinian resistance attack against Israel launched by the resistance faction in Gaza, Hamas, against the Israeli side in Palestine. This operation revealed a large number of depravity and rottenness of the Zionist government and its Western allies, as well as the breakdown of the justice system and global ethical and moral standards.

The second session of the seminar was continued by Prof. Dr. Fadlil Munawwar Manshur, M.S. who focused on the discussion related to the struggle of Palestinian Arab writers in literary works, both poetry and novels. Prof. Fadlil said that the Nakba tragedy had given birth to literary works in the form of Arabic poetry and short stories containing the resistance of the Palestinian people against Israel. The poems and short stories use the iltizam language style, which is a language style that contains the resistance of the Palestinian people against the Israeli occupation. The advantage of this iltizam language style lies in the ability of poets and short stories in describing the cultural conflict between Arab-Palestinian culture and Jewish-Israeli culture.

One of the Palestinian Arab writers who continues to produce literary works of resistance is Mahmoed Darwish. Entering the third discussion, Dr. Uki Sukiman revealed the role of the United States and Israel in Mahmoed Darwisy’s prose. He explained that the Palestinians must be freed from the political commodities of the United States. So far, the United States has used the Palestinian issue as a “line” to defend its interests in the region. According to Dr. Uki, stronger pressure is needed from the international community to Israel on the basis of respect for the universal principles of relations between countries that are anti-oppression, anti-colonialism and against all forms of colonialism. This pressure is expected to condemn and urge Israel to withdraw from Palestinian land.

Yogyakarta, 01/06/2024-The Arabic Literature Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) announced that one of its students has successfully completed an internship program at Mojok Book Publisher, Yogyakarta. This internship program began on February 19, 2024 and ended on May 31, 2024, for approximately three months. During this period, students were involved in various publishing activities including manuscript editing, literature research, and product marketing.

There were three students from the Faculty of Humanities who participated in this internship program, one of whom came from the Arabic Literature Study Program, Elvira Sundari, and the other two came from the French Language and Literature Study Program, Muhammad Ardan Fitriansyah and Catharina Maida. Accompanied by French Language and Literature Lecturer, Ari Bagus Panuntun, S.S., M.A., and working under the auspices of the Mojok Book Editorial team, they had the opportunity to learn firsthand about the book publishing process from the beginning to the end.

The purpose of this internship program is to provide students with practical experience that can complement their academic knowledge so that it is relevant to the skills needed in the publishing industry. Student interns also have the opportunity to publish their own work. They were entrusted by the Mojok Book Editor to write the book Jelajah Kuliner Lokal: Caring for Food, Caring for Sovereignty, which was a collaborative project with Paniradya Kaistimewaan. As a final project, they also managed to publish their first book entitled Yang Harus Kamu Baca Sebelum Kuliah di Jogja. Both books can be purchased at the Mojok Store online and offline bookstore.

This internship experience not only benefits the students but also strengthens the relationship between the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM and the publishing industry in Yogyakarta. The success of this program shows the commitment of the Faculty of Humanities UGM in bridging the gap between education and industry. The collaboration between the Faculty and Mojok Book Publisher also opens up opportunities for further cooperation in the future, both in the form of internship programs and other publishing projects.

The Master’s Program in Middle Eastern Cultural Studies in collaboration with the Bachelor of Arabic Literature Program at Gadjah Mada University held a National Seminar in order to Mangayubagya the retirement of Dr. Hindun, M.Hum with the theme Palestine: From Nakbah to Tufan Al-Aqsa on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 in Room 709, Soegondo Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences. The event was attended by the deans of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, namely Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, M.Hum. (Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs), Mimi Savitri, M.A., Ph.D (Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation and Alumni), Suray Agung Nugroho, S.S., M.A. (Vice Dean for Finance, Assets and Human Resources), retired lecturers, alumni and students from the Master of Middle Eastern Cultural Studies and Arabic Literature. The event opened with remarks from representatives of the dean of FIB UGM and continued with giving impressions and messages from representatives of lecturers, alumni, and students from both study programs.

Dr. Hindun is a lecturer in the Intercultural department with expertise in Arabic literature, especially in the poetry of Resistance literature (Adabul Muqawamah). She studied Arabic literature from bachelor to doctoral degree and has served for 40 years at Universitas Gadjah Mada. She has pursued the study of Arab resistance literature, especially Palestine, which until now is still being fought against Israeli occupation. In her speech, Mrs. Hindun said that the struggle for Palestinian independence will never end. She appealed to the invited guests that it is not only the Palestinians who are struggling, but all people of the world who have a humanitarian spirit. Therefore, this seminar certainly provides a deeper insight into the history of the Palestinian conflict to the latest information in the area. For the younger generation, it is hoped that they can continue the relay of this struggle to defend Palestine.

Yogyakarta, August 23, 2024 – Korean Language and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Arts UGM, supported by Literature Translation Institute (LTI) Korea, held a Literary Translation Workshop from June 4 to August 23, 2024. This Literary Translation Workshop is the first activity organized for students and alumni of the UGM Korean Language and Culture Study Program. This activity aims to provide a forum for students and alumni to train and increase knowledge in the field of translation, especially the translation of literary works taught directly by experts. Not only that, as many as 20 people who were selected in the selection of participants, each received a free book entitled “1988년도 제12회 이상문학상작품집.” The book is a collection of the best literary works selected for the Yi Sang Literary Award in 1988. One of the literary works in the book is writer Lim Chul-woober’s “The Red Room” which won the grand prize.

In this workshop, “The Red Room” is a literary work that is translated and discussed by participants coordinated by lecturer of Korean Language and Culture Study Program at Faculty of Arts UGM, Alfiana Amrin Rosyadi, S.S., M.A. and guided by lecturers Febriana Elfida Trihtarani, S.S., M.A. and Theresia Avila Rencidiptya Gitanati Firstantin, S.S., M.A. The Literary Translation Workshop “The Red Room” was held for 19 meetings divided into 2 meetings a week. The participants were asked to read and translate the literary work from Korean to Indonesian which was divided into several parts and discussed together at each meeting. The workshop also explored the content of the literary work “The Red Room” which contains historical elements set in the struggle for democracy and reform in South Korea in 1988.

The workshop concluded with a meeting with the author. The meeting was held in a mixed session in Conference Room 1, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM. At the peak of the event, the participants had the opportunity to discuss and conduct questions and answers directly with the author Lim Chul-woo regarding the contents of the work “The Red Room.”

In addition to the discussion with the author, the closing ceremony was also filled with a prize giving session to 3 active participants who participated in the workshop enthusiastically and had the best translation results. The first best participant was Fitri Puspita Ningrum who received an Asus Vivobook laptop. The second best participant was Vira Ardiana who was awarded with an Advan tablet and keyboard. The last award as the third best participant was given to Adinda Cindy Kartika Putri with a prize in the form of a Samsung Galaxy A9 tablet. The prizes for the best participants were handed over directly by Mr. Suray Agung Nugroho, S.S., M.A., Ph.D. as a representative of the Head of Korean Language and Culture Study Program at FIB UGM.

Author: Peony
Editor: Fathiannisa

Thursday, August 29, 2024, became a special moment for the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) Universitas Gadjah Mada with the holding of the Mangayubagya Graduation of Undergraduates period IV of the 2023/2024 academic year. A total of 244 graduates celebrated their graduation, holding a bachelor’s degree after completing their studies at FIB. The solemn graduation ceremony was made even more lively with a dance performance from Ratnaraya, a student dance unit of the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program.

Four students, Audrey Gisela, Ganes Larasati, Novalia Hidayatus S., and Wening Hidayati, presented Geol Denok Dance as part of the graduation ceremony. Geol Denok dance is a typical Semarang dance that depicts the joy of Semarang girls who dance with lively, energetic movements and accompanied by dynamic music. Etymologically, the word “geol” refers to the dance movements of the knees and hips, while “denok” is a term for girls in Semarang.

In an interview with Wening Hidayati, one of the performers, she said that Geol Denok Dance was a new dance for Ratnaraya members. “We try to give our best in this performance, and are very happy to be able to welcome the graduates of FIB UGM with Geol Denok Dance,” said Wening (09/05/2024).

Ratnaraya’s performance is not only for entertainment, but also reflects the Faculty’s commitment to preserving Nusantara culture, especially Javanese culture. This cultural preservation requires support and collaboration from various parties, and FIB UGM plays an active role by providing the widest possible space for art and cultural exploration, so that the nation’s identity remains relevant and provides benefits to people’s lives.

Author : Haryo Untoro