On Tuesday, October 10th, 2023, the Faculty of Humanities at Universitas Gadjah Mada and Universitas Brawijaya jointly organized a seminar titled “Recent Linguistic Studies in Indonesia,” which was attended by participants from various backgrounds, including academics, researchers, and the general public interested in language studies.

The seminar featured three prominent speakers, who are experts in the field of linguistics. Firstly, Professor Dr I Dewa Putu Wijana, S.U., M.A, a linguistics lecturer at Gadjah Mada University, delivered an engaging speech titled “English Structured Shop Named Used in Indonesia”. He emphasized that the naming of something always affects its structure and highlighted the strong influence of English on the language used in Indonesia.

The second speaker, Ika Nurhayani, Ph.D, a lecturer at Brawijaya University, presented a talk on “Ecolinguistics in Indonesian Folklore”. She drew attention to the Sarina Sea Octopus from Maluku and the ecosophy ideology, which advocates for respect and care for all living things, beyond just humans. She highlighted the need for humans to change their habits and values to protect the environment from harm.

Finally, Dr. Sajarwa, M.Hum, a lecturer at Gadjah Mada University, delivered a speech titled “Referential Transformation of French Definite and Indefinite Articles in Indonesian Translation”. He discussed the challenges of translating messages from the source language to the target language and the importance of preserving the original message’s meaning in the translation process.

The seminar was part of the Linguistic Forum’s efforts to introduce and discuss the latest developments in the field of linguistics in Indonesia, both in terms of theory and application. The event aimed to provide insights and inspiration for language enthusiasts and practitioners in Indonesia and foster cooperation and collaboration between the various parties involved in language studies.

In conclusion, the seminar was a great success, and attendees appreciated the speakers’ insights and expertise. The seminar will surely contribute to the advancement of linguistic studies in Indonesia and inspire researchers and enthusiasts alike to continue exploring the vast and exciting field of linguistics.

The Faculty of Cultural Sciences received a visit from the French Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste, YM Fabien Penone, on Thursday, 5 October 2023. Also present were Jules Irrmann as Director of Institut Français Indonesia (COCAC) and François Dabin (Director of IFI-LIP Yogyakarta). The guests were welcomed by the Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs Dr Nur Saktiningrum and several lecturers of the French Language and Literature Study Programme; Dr Hayatul Cholsy, Dr Aprillia Firmonasari, Dr Arifah Arum Candra H., and Ari Bagus Panuntun, S.S., M.A..

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.