Rampoe UGM, a dance community based on Aceh culture under the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has once again brought pride to Indonesia with their remarkable achievements in the international arena. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the Rampoe UGM team managed to participate in the prestigious “International Troya Folk Dance and Music Festival” held in Canakkale, Turkey from 2-6 July 2023, and the “Asia Art Festival” competition in Singapore from 11-15 July 2023.

In the “International Trojan Folk Dance and Music Festival”, Rampoe UGM was the only team representing Indonesia. The festival was held in the heart of Canakkale city and was attended by around 2,000 spectators, including high-ranking officials such as the mayor of Canakkale. The UGM Rampoe Team performed two dances, namely Ratoeh Pukat and Rapai Geleng-Meusaresare Medley. Despite the city not being familiar with Indonesian culture, the UGM Rampoe Team managed to showcase Indonesia’s rich identity and culture to the world, and their performance was recognised as the Best Performance in both performances.

This remarkable achievement was not limited to Turkey as the UGM Rampoe Team travelled to Singapore to participate in the “Asia Art Festival 2023”. In the competition, the team managed to win gold and was invited to perform at the Gala as Best Folk Dance Category, showcasing their magnificent performance of the Ratoeh Pukat dance.

The success of this diplomatic mission was made possible with the support of Mr Haidar Alwi, President of the Haidar Alwi Institute, and the sponsorship from Taman Sriwedari Solo. With the unwavering support of their sponsors, the UGM Rampoe Team has continued to make significant contributions to the international arena since 2010. It is worth noting that Rampoe UGM has already made remarkable achievements in France, Belgium, Spain, Taiwan, Malaysia, Czech Republic, and South Korea.

Overall, the successes of Rampoe UGM in Turkey and Singapore demonstrate Indonesia’s rich cultural identity, and the team’s fantastic performance serves as a testament to their dedication, hard work, and talent. We are proud of the UGM Rampoe Team and their achievements, and we look forward to their continued success in the future.

On August 25th, 2023, the Kagama Poetry Reading Community (KAPOETREN) organized a special event in collaboration with two other communities – the “Melati Rinonce” community of women Javanese poetry writers and the “Nyareng Boenga Ketjil” community. The event took place at the UGM Museum, Bulaksumur Blok D6-D7, and was aimed at commemorating the 78th Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia, as well as promoting literature and poetry. The main highlight of the event was the launching of a collection of geguritan or Javanese poetry titled “Nyareng 2”. About 30 people from the three communities attended the event, and there was also a special guest appearance from the “Lincak” Community, whose members are students of the Faculty of Arts UGM. Overall, it was an insightful and enriching event that brought together like-minded individuals who share a passion for literature and poetry.

Fifteen talented poets graced the event with their evocative poetry readings, transporting the audience to a world of emotions. These poets hailed from various cities including Jombang, Sragen, Pacitan, Magelang, Semarang, and more, adding to the diversity of the event. The performances were not limited to traditional geguritan, as some poets presented their works in both Indonesian and English, showcasing their versatility and proficiency.

During the book launching session of “Nyareng 2”, one of the initiators of “Nyareng Boenga Ketjil” community, Didik Eros Sudarjono, expressed his frustration on the scarcity of Javanese-language poetry anthologies compared to Indonesian-language poetry. He traveled all the way from Jombang to attend the event. Sudarjono and his friends in the “Nyareng Boenga Ketjil” community are committed to preserving Javanese traditions and take this responsibility seriously.

It is interesting to note that Didik Eros Sudarjono, one of the initiators of Nyareng Boenga Ketjil, traveled all the way from Jombang to attend the book launching session of “Nyareng 2”. During the session, he expressed his frustration over the scarcity of Javanese-language poetry anthologies as compared to Indonesian-language poetry. To preserve Javanese traditions, he and his friends from the “Nyareng Boenga Ketjil” community are fully committed and serious.

Novi commends two Javanese tradition-focused communities, “Melati Rinonce” and “Nyareng Boenga Ketjil”. She specifically praises the latter for publishing two geguritan anthologies.

“This is a source of inspiration for us. KAPOETREN plans to publish an anthology of poetry specifically by members of our community,” Novi concluded.

Ever wondered what graduates of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences do after graduation?

That’s the very first question asked by the MC. Even the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at UGM has always been a popular choice among students who aspire to pursue careers in various fields such as journalism, public relations, education, and the arts. But surely it doesn’t come that smoothly. The question of what to do after graduation often leaves many students confused and uncertain about their future.

To address this issue, the Student Executive Board of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, in collaboration with iRadio, organized a Career Day Talkshow entitled “How to be Content Creator” on Friday, 1st September 2023. The event aimed to provide helpful guidance to students on how to navigate their career paths and make informed decisions about their future.

The event was a resounding success, with Decolgen as a partner, LEM FIB, and iRadio working closely together to make it happen. The talk show featured Mahendra Duta Saputra as a guest speaker, who emphasized that no matter what major or program the students are studying, the end goals are always the same – to work or to create.

In the end, whatever your major is, right now, the aftermath are either you’ll work or you’ll create, or a little bit of both

During the Q&A session, students were encouraged to share their own responses and Mahendra fully supported the different answers given by the students. The event was not only about how to become a good and proper content creator but also aimed to highlight the various job options and opportunities available for students of the Faculty of Humanities.

As the MC of the event, Saras Adellia opened the event by recognizing that the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at UGM offers a wide range of career paths for students, and it is hoped that this Career Day event can help FIB students to at least map out their future path in their studies. Overall, the event was a great success, and the students left feeling more informed and empowered about their future career prospects. The event provided a platform for students to gain valuable insights into various career paths and opportunities while fostering a spirit of collaboration and community among the attendees.

Meet M Deni Maulana, a talented student from the Indonesian Language and Literature study programme, batch of 2023. Deni has been chosen as a poetry reader for the much-awaited Independence concert by Gita Bahana Nusantara Republik Indonesia in 2023. This exciting event is being organized by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Directorate General of Culture. It’s a big deal because Deni will join 199 other young participants from all over Indonesia, representing the 33 provinces, who are all part of Gita Bahana Nusantara (GBN) 2023.

This year is special as it marks the 20th anniversary of GBN’s involvement in national events. And for the very first time, they are getting ready to showcase their talents to a wider audience at the Gita Bahana Nusantara 2023 Independence Concert “Menembus Batas” (Breaking Boundaries). The concert will take place at the historic Fatahillah Museum in the Kota Tua Complex, Jakarta, on August 12th.

The Korea University ASEAN Centre (KUAC) delegation, led by Professor Jae Hyeok Shin, the Director of KUAC, recently paid a visit to the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in 16th August 2023. The delegation, which included Professor Jeong-in Suh, Former Korean Ambassador to ASEAN, Professor Jaehoo Park, Chief Administrative Officer, and a journalist from Yonhap News, Mr Kim Ho-Chun, had a seven-day visit to Indonesia and Thailand. During their visit, they gained valuable insights into ASEAN countries and had the opportunity to exchange ideas with students of the Korean Language and Culture Study Programme at FIB UGM.

The KUAC delegation’s visit was not just a mere academic and cultural exchange but also aimed to foster closer ties between Korea and ASEAN countries. To achieve this goal, the delegation attended a series of lectures on Cultural Differences between Indonesia and Korea. Moreover, two representatives from Chung Mong-Koo Foundation, Mr Cho Hyun Jin and Mr Shin Ji Nam, also accompanied the delegation, adding more value to the visit.

Overall, the KUAC delegation’s visit to UGM was a significant milestone in the academic and cultural exchange between the two regions. It is hoped that such visits will continue to take place, leading to more opportunities for collaboration and mutual understanding between Korea and ASEAN countries..