Double degree program in Heritage studies (UGM) and in critical heritage studies of Asia and Europe (Universiteit Leiden, Netherlands) is a program where postgraduate students, especially those majoring in archeology, can study in two places, namely Indonesia and the Netherlands for two semesters each and will get two degrees at once. In order to socialize this program to archeology students of Gadjah Mada University, the director of the Universiteit Leiden office and KITLV from Jakarta, Marrik Bellen, visited the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University. Held in the multimedia room of the Margono building on February 5th 2024 at 2 pm, the Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences himself gave a welcoming speech.

This event was attended by archeology postgraduate students both offline and online. Meanwhile, the two main speakers tasked with conveying the program mechanism were Dr. Anggraeni M.A. as the first speaker from Gadjah Mada University and Dr. Elena Paskaleva from Universiteit Leiden as the second speaker. The first speaker discussed the registration mechanism starting from the time period, requirements that must be met, registration requirements, number of students who will be accepted, and many more which can be checked on the um.ugm.ac.id page. For Indonesia. students, they will get two diplomas at once after they complete 1 year of study at their campus in Indonesia and 1 year at Universiteit Leiden. Meanwhile, Leiden students will immediately receive a diploma after completing each 1 year of study.

Through the zoom meeting, the second speaker focused more on explaining the mechanisms during the study. The presentation begins by giving reasons why you should study at Universiteit Leiden and what career prospects that students will get in the future. After that, she began to explain the things that needed to be prepared when studying there, such as preparing the language because all lectures will be held in English, there were 60 EC/European Credit (SKS) a year with 28 hours per EC, and there were many courses that could be chosen. such as Politics, Economics, Literature, Language, and many more. She also provides information about where students have to look for themselves, but can ask others because there are many Indonesian students studying at the university.

SDGs 4: Quality Education | SDGs 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | SDGs 10: Reduced Inequalities | SDGs 5: Gender Equality

Ramayda Akmal, an Indonesian Literature lecturer at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University, is a figure who has achieved numerous accomplishments through captivating literary works that contribute positively to societal understanding. Born with exceptional literary talent, Ramayda Akmal has created books that not only garnered awards but also provided profound insights into the complex reality of Indonesian life.

Recently, Ramayda’s work titled ‘Jatisaba’ has been reprinted. This novel was first published in 2009. The book serves as evidence of his enduring commitment to literature and acts as a platform for his critical ideas and thoughts on various social issues in Indonesia. In ‘Jatisaba,’ Ramayda Akmal addresses several key points that are the main focus of his discussion. One of them is the issue of human trafficking and the fate of Indonesian migrant workers (TKI). This work vividly depicts the challenges and suffering faced by TKI, giving a voice to those often marginalized in social narratives. Additionally, the book also delves into the political life of villages in Indonesia in the early 2000s, creating an authentic representation of the political dynamics at the local level. Ramayda Akmal carefully portrays the fate of TKI and migrant labor, opening the eyes of readers to the sometimes grim realities of life. The importance of women’s roles in society is also a focal point in ‘Jatisaba.’ Ramayda Akmal sharply highlights the position of women, depicting the challenges and inequalities they still often face across various societal layers.

Ramayda Akmal’s motivation for writing this book goes beyond academic purposes; it is rooted in real-life events that occurred in his own surroundings. His sensitivity to the social reality around him gives his works a strong humanitarian dimension.

In his closing words, Ramayda Akmal states, “Literature is a tool to elevate the complexity of real life, beyond mere black and white.” This expression reflects his belief that literature has the power to open eyes and raise awareness of the often overlooked complexities of life.

With the achievements and significant contributions to the world of Indonesian literature, Ramayda Akmal stands as a figure worthy of appreciation and inspiration for future generations of literary enthusiasts.

SDGS 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth  | SDGS 17: Partnership for the Goals

Yogyakarta, January 30, 2024 – Abdurrahman Al Kholili, a student of Arabic Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has successfully completed an internship at the Regional Board of the Indonesian Export Companies Association (DPD Gabungan Perusahaan Ekspor Indonesia – GPEI) DIY. During the 3-month internship, Kholili actively participated in various projects, including Indonesia’s largest trade exhibition, Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) 2023, which took place from October 18 to 22, 2023.

GPEI DIY was one of the participants in the exhibition held in Hall 3 (F&B Product), Booth 24B, showcasing a variety of flagship products from local entrepreneurs, such as spices, gudeg (a traditional Javanese dish), coconut shell charcoal briquettes, palm sugar, and herbal drinks. Leveraging his proficient Arabic language skills, Kholili was assigned to attract buyers from Arab countries.

Kholili’s proficiency in the Arabic language proved effective in enhancing communication, engagement, and customer satisfaction. This increased the chances of closing deals with buyers. Thus, foreign language proficiency, especially in Arabic, has proven to create opportunities and make a tangible contribution to the nation’s economic progress.

Through assistive technology devices and special learning software, students can access learning materials more easily and effectively. This ensures that no student is left behind in the quest for quality education for all.

Technology also has great potential in supporting and advancing education at various levels, and can contribute to achieving various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) collaborated with FIB Gadjah Mada University (UGM) on Wednesday, January 31 2024, introduced a learning tool called LASSI as an assessment tool design in the form of a survey format used to identify areas of strength and areas which requires improvement in students’ study habits and attitudes toward learning.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kamisah Arifin in the discussion forum explained that through a research plan entitled “Utilising Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) as a Predictive Tool for Strategic Prediction of ESL/EFL Student Performance”, there are 9 components in the assessment in LASSI to identify learning problems that arise faced by students include, Self-Regulation, Study Aids, Motivation, and Time Management. Then in this research it is hoped that LASSI can be used to assess the effectiveness as a predictive tool for ESL/ EFL student performance, as well as identifying the key factors and study strategies measured that correlate most strongly with ESL/ EFL student success.

Furthermore, there are various responses from Dr. Suhandano, Dr. Sailal Arimi, Dr. Ni Gusti Ayu Roselani and other FIB lecturers regarding the use of LASSI which might be implemented in various language teaching, not only English but Indonesian, Javanese and so on.

A joint research plan between UiTM and FIB UGM through other fields of Linguistics such as Sociolinguistics and Corpus Linguistics was formulated to examine more deeply the discourses in Indonesian and Malaysian News relating to the environment and language variations. This is an example of collaboration between educational institutions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are in accordance with the 4th pillar, namely quality education to strengthen solidarity and partnership.

For many people, student exchange is one of the most coveted things. Just like Made Widiadnyani, a student of the English Department from the class of 2020, who had the valuable opportunity to participate in a student exchange program at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS) while also being an awardee of the JASSO (Japan Student Service Organization) scholarship for the fall semester. During her time at TUFS, she took various courses such as Management and Culture in Japan, Introduction to American Short Story, Intercultural Communication, Thai Society, Culture, and Literature in Film, and Social Interaction in Culturally Diversifying Japan.

Being part of this program has allowed her to have new experiences and knowledge in various aspects. For instance, she observed that “on time” has become a norm and habit in Japanese society. During lectures, Made noticed that the professors always started classes on time and completed the material or discussions as scheduled. It was common to see professors in the classroom 5 – 10 minutes before the class started, ensuring that the class always began right after the bell signaling the change of class periods. Additionally, every November, the campus hosts the Gaigosai Festival. For a week, there is no lectures as students actively participates in the festival such as organizing performances, selling food from various countries, and even serving as festival committees.

Made’s experience was not only filled with pleasant moments, especially since she lived in a country where English is not the primary language spoken daily, and very few people can communicate in English. Initially, this posed a challenge for Made, who lacked proficiency in Japanese and had to handle various documents in the language. However, this did not dampen her spirits as she began to learn some Japanese vocabulary commonly used in daily activities through Google Translate and her Japanese friends.

In addition to the mentioned experiences, Made also encountered several culture shocks. One notable observation was the passengers’ preference for maintaining silence when using public transportation. Most of them chose to read books or play with their phones until arriving in their destination. Moreover, supermarkets in Japan typically implemented self-service payment systems – from scanning products to packing them into shopping bags, everything was done independently by the customers.

Made Widiadnyani’s exchange experience was not just a physical journey abroad but also a meaningful inner journey. For Made, it was not only her first international adventure but also a significant achievement accomplished independently. The importance of this experience lies not only in the destination or activities involved but in the entire process that included struggle, perseverance, and determination to achieve goals. Despite facing several failures in previous attempts to secure an exchange program opportunity, Made never gave up.

The key message from Made’s story is that failure does not always mean the end of everything. On the contrary, failure can serve as a stepping stone to success. In essence, as long as we can view failure as a learning opportunity and remain resilient, we still have the chance to achieve our dreams.