On Monday, 14 August 2023, the Department of History Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM successfully held an Interdisciplinary Critical Heritage Study Conference in Indonesia at Ullen Sentalu Museum, Kaliurang, Sleman. The conference aimed to develop a critical heritage curriculum and open cooperation between museums, communities, and cultural activists in heritage utilisation.

The conference was divided into four panels that were conducted separately. The first panel carried the theme “Heritage in Practice”. Acting as presenters in this panel were Grace Leksana, an academic and historian from the State University of Malang; Kate McGregor, a historian from the University of Melbourne; Restu Gunawan, Director of Development and Utilisation at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research; and Bambang Widodo, Chairman of the DIY Musea Deliberation Board (BARAHMUS DIY). In this panel, they discussed topics on the commodification of colonial heritage, the practice and theory of interdisciplinary approaches, and heritage preservation practices.

The second panel raised the theme “Decolonisation and Repatriation”. Tular Sudarmadi, UGM academic and archaeologist; I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja, Executive Director of the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation; and Daud Aris Tanudirdjo, UGM archaeologist discussed topics on the difference between return, repatriation, and resitution; microhistory approach in heritage studies; and museum decolonisation.

The third panel was themed “Performing Heritage”. Sumarsam, a lecturer at Wesleyan University and Eri Sustiyadi, Head of the Collection, Conservation and Documentation Section, discussed the topic of intercultural encounters in the development of puppetry and the practices of presenting heritage through museums.

Finally, the fourth panel raised the theme “Heritage in Contestation”. Marieke Bloembergen, a historian from Leiden University; Sukma Putri, activist of the Malam Museum Community, and Sektiadi, UGM archaeologist, discussed the topics of epistemic violence against heritage, discussion practices through communities, and the transformation of museum identity in line with decolonisation efforts.

Monday, 14 August 2023, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) held a meeting with the Joint Secretariat of Mitra Praja Utama. The meeting was held in the Leadership Conference Room, Poerbatjaraka Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM with the aim of signing a cooperation agreement regarding the MBKM programme. Mitra Praja Utama Joint Secretariat is a forum for provincial cooperation in Java and Bali that aims to solve various development problems with their regional potential. This time the Joint Secretariat of Mitra Praja Utama collaborates with the UGM Department of Archaeology to conduct action research on cultural heritage.

The signing was carried out by Dr Suwarno, M.M. in his capacity as Executive Director of the Joint Secretariat of Mitra Praja Utama, Dr Mahirta, M.A. as Head of the UGM Department of Archaeology, and Prof. Dr Setiadi, S.Sos., M.Si. as Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM. The goal is to ensure a seamless future collaboration that will yield benefits for both parties and the community at large.

Salut, Mahadaya!

The faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM is delighted. On 9-15 June 2023, the Department of French Language and Literature of the Faculty of Arts, Universitas Brawijaya held the “Humanities Studies Competition of French”. This opportunity was not missed by Mahadaya from French Literature. There are three representatives from FIB including Jasmine Nabila, Meitri Lathifah and Agata Aubrey. They competed in two different categories, poetry reading and translation.

The three representatives from the French Literature Study Programme of FIB UGM managed to win the championship podium with the following details.

1. Jasmine Nabila (1st place in French Poetry Reading)
2. Meitri Lathifah (1st place in Translation)
3. Agata Aubrey (2nd place in translation)

Congratulations, winners!

Thursday, 20 July 2023, the Open Examination of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences Graduate Program UGM for the Doctoral Promotion of Ajar Pradika Anantra Tur was held. His dissertation entitled “A Study on Linguistic Features, Motivations, and Perceived Interplays of Personal Names of Yogyakarta’s Kraton Soldiers’ Offspring” is the result of research on the adaptation of the flexible mental attitude of palace soldiers in representing Javanese tradition to the globalisation era with a case study of naming trends. He graduated with an outstanding remark.

SOAS is partnering with Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) to solicit contributions to Volume III of the anthology series The Creative South: Buddhist and Hindu Art in Medieval Maritime Asia.

The workshop aims to maintain the Southeast Asian Arts Academic Programme’s (SAAAP) strategic goal of setting standards for anthologies together with regional partners, including universities, museums, and conservation bodies, and to engage Alphawood alumni in expanding local to global appreciation of art and culture related to ancient to pre-modern cultural architecture in Southeast Asia.

The workshop will be co-organised by SAAAP and Vice Dean of Faculty of Arts UGM Dr. Mimi Savitri, M.A. (SOAS alumni), with support from Emma Natalya Stein, curator at the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian, Washington, who is negotiating an exhibition on Javanese Tantric mandalas. The exhibition will ultimately provide an international exhibition experience for invited Alphawood alumni.

Some of the highlights, including from Alphawood alumni, will be streamed. These will later be edited and widely distributed via the SOAS-SAAAP page (https://www.soas.ac.uk/about/schools-and-departments/school-arts/department-history-art-and-archaeology/southeast-asian).

More details on how to access the event online will be shared soon via https://www.soas.ac.uk/about/event/yogyakarta-summer-programme-2023