Yogyakarta, September 11, 2025 – The Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM) warmly welcomed a cultural visit from Osaka University, Japan, in an event filled with hospitality and the spirit of cultural exchange. Organized by the Department of Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture, this program served as an important moment to strengthen international relations through deeper cultural understanding.

The event opened with a performance of Tari Sasanti Manghayu-hayu by students of the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Department. The dance, rich in symbolism, represented a gesture of welcome while highlighting Javanese traditional values of hospitality and harmony.

Head of the Department, Dr. Dra. Daru Winarti, M.Hum., expressed her pride in the continuation of this meaningful academic tradition.
“Looking at what has been accomplished over the years, this activity is extraordinary, especially for our students, as it provides invaluable experiences in interacting with both domestic and international students,” she remarked.

A warm response also came from Osaka University, represented by supervising lecturer Dr. Yumi Sugahara. She shared that student visits to Yogyakarta have been conducted since 2013, with an average of 30 students visiting FIB UGM every two years. This consistent collaboration reflects the strong commitment of both institutions to building cultural bridges that mutually enrich one another.

During the cultural presentation session, Osaka University students introduced various aspects of life in Japan. They presented summer traditions, showcased Japanese culinary specialties along with food sample-making techniques, and introduced both digital and traditional Japanese games. Additionally, they shared traditional toys and explained Japanese perspectives on religion and spirituality, offering participants deeper insights into the broader way of life in Japan.

This event was not only a platform for cultural exchange but also embodied the spirit of sustainable development as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The collaboration between FIB UGM and Osaka University underscores their shared commitment to providing inclusive and quality education (SDG 4) and fostering global partnerships for sustainability (SDG 17). Such exchanges provide students with opportunities to learn beyond geographical and cultural boundaries, shaping a young generation that is more open-minded, tolerant, and globally oriented.

Through this program, Universitas Gadjah Mada once again demonstrated its role as a hub for cultural and intellectual exchange, consistently encouraging international cooperation for a more sustainable and harmonious future.

[Public Relations FIB UGM, Alma Syahwalani]

The  English Literature Study Program held an inspiring alumni talk titled Early Career Navigation: Aligning Your College Goals with Your Dreams. This event featured Indra Pradipa Yudha, better known as Andrew Yudha, an alumnus as well as the CEO and founder of Discovery English and Speakhub.id. He is also an English teacher, edupreneur, and content creator. This seminar was a valuable opportunity for students to gain insight into how to make the most of their college years as a stepping stone to future career success.

During the session, Andrew Yudha shared his personal and professional journey. He emphasized that success is not determined by how fast or slow the learning process is, but by consistency and perseverance throughout the process. Andrew also encouraged students to start with a fundamental question: “Why?”.

The discussion developed into various reasons for choosing to study English Literature, ranging from the desire to continue studying, become a teacher, improve English skills, to opening up wider career opportunities, building networks, gaining international experience, and enjoying the field of study. Not only that, Andrew also introduced a practical framework for life and career planning. He explained the Wheel of Lyfe concept, which divides life into three important aspects: Relationships, Health, and Wealth. This holistic perspective encourages students to balance all aspects of their lives, not just focus on professional ambitions.

Another interesting concept is finding the sweet spot in business opportunities. According to Andrew, the sweet spot lies at the intersection of three things: topics of interest, fields that people need, and markets that are of sufficient size. Various examples of passion-based business ideas were also presented, ranging from English, productivity, investment, fashion, to self-development. The students’ enthusiasm was evident throughout the event. The interactive discussion was lively, with various questions asked to the speakers. Andrew also emphasized the importance of learning from mentors, both paid and free.

The English Literature Study Program hopes this seminar will serve as an important foundation for students to align their academic goals with their career aspirations, as well as provide a clearer roadmap for navigating their future.

Yogyakarta, 8/9/2025 – A total of 36 students from the Arabic Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), successfully completed internship programs during the even semester of the 2024/2025 academic year. The internships took place across a wide range of institutions, including government offices, publishing houses, educational institutions, media outlets, and private companies.

The program serves as a crucial part of the students’ learning journey, allowing them to not only apply their academic knowledge but also sharpen practical skills needed in today’s workplace.

UGM Arabic Study Program students were placed in diverse institutions, spanning both public and private sectors. These included: the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Sleman, Bantul, Purworejo, Yogyakarta City, and Regional Office of Yogyakarta); publishing and media outlets such as Brilliant Books, Mojok Publishing, Deepublish, and Tirto.id; educational institutions such as SDIT Al-Khairaat, Miftahul Huda Islamic Boarding School (Kroya, West Java), and MAN 2 Yogyakarta; state agencies such as the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) of Yogyakarta, LLDIKTI Region V Yogyakarta, and the Office of Community Empowerment, Villages, Population, and Civil Registration of DIY; as well as private sector and companies including At-Tayibah Al-Multazam Group (Umrah & Hajj Travel) and Telkom Purwokerto.

Through this program, students are expected not only to gain first-hand work experience but also to build professional networks, strengthen their communication, literacy, and research skills, and apply their Arabic language expertise in real-world contexts.

The participation of Arabic Study Program students across various sectors also highlights the program’s commitment to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), by fostering meaningful collaboration between higher education, government, and industry.

With this internship experience, it is hoped that the students will enrich their academic competencies while preparing themselves to become excellent, adaptive graduates ready to contribute to society.

Author: Muhammad Ardiansyah

Yogyakarta, September 10, 2025 – The Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM), has once again produced significant research in the field of linguistics. Dini Maulia, a doctoral student in Linguistics under the Graduate Program of Humanities, successfully defended her dissertation entitled “A Contrastive Analysis of Negation in Japanese and Indonesian.”

In her dissertation, Dini was supervised by Dr. Tatang Hariri, M.A. as the main advisor, and Dr. Y. Tri Mastoyo, M.Hum. as the co-advisor. The study aimed to compare the negation systems in Japanese and Indonesian using a theoretical contrastive analysis framework, drawing on the works of Fisiak (1980), Ke (2019), Krzeszowski (1990), and Zabrocki (1980).

The findings revealed that negation markers can be classified into two types: affixal negation and sentential negation. Furthermore, based on X-bar theory, it was found that affixal negation in both Japanese and Indonesian occupies the modifier node that describes a noun.

Through contrastive analysis, the study also identified four main factors influencing the similarities and differences in the negation systems of the two languages, namely:

1. Negation as a universal grammatical feature,

2. Language typology,

3. Categories of sentential negation, and

4. Tense systems.

This research not only contributes to theoretical linguistic studies but also aligns with the goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), through the advancement of cross-cultural linguistic knowledge, and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), by fostering intercultural and interlingual understanding.

With these findings, the study is expected to build a more comprehensive model of contrastive language analysis, enriching linguistic scholarship while strengthening UGM’s role in producing world-class academics.

[Public Relations Office, FIB UGM – Alma Syahwalani]

Yogyakarta, September, 9, 2025 – Gadjah Mada University (UGM) is once again implementing the Community Empowerment Field Study Program (KKN-PPM), a student service program that is both an academic tradition and a form of social responsibility for universities towards the community. The 50-day program, running from June 20 to August 8, 2025, places students in various regions to interact with the community, identify needs, and provide creative, science-based solutions. Among the many programs initiated by students, one that stands out is P4 Carakan (Introduction, Learning, Training, and Application of Carakan), a concrete effort to preserve and promote Javanese script in Pacitan Regency, East Java.

This program was conceived by Dhiny Maulina Mahanani, a student of the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program, and implemented at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Negeri (MIN) 2 Pacitan, Bungur Village, Tulakan District, Pacitan Regency, East Java.

Dhiny explained that the background of this program stems from the low interest of students in learning local content, especially Javanese script, which is often considered complicated. Therefore, he developed a more interactive and enjoyable learning method. The activity began with the screening of an animated video about the history of Javanese script, followed by an introduction to the basics of Carakan, its rules of use, and an interactive quiz with prizes to encourage students to express their opinions. This resulted in increased enthusiasm among students, as evidenced by their active participation and various questions.

“The goal of this program is to dispel the notion that learning Javanese script is difficult, while also increasing young people’s interest in local knowledge. This is part of a real effort to preserve Javanese culture,” said Dhiny in an online interview on September 30, 2025.

Initially, the program was planned to be targeted only at third-grade students. However, thanks to the support of the school, the teaching target was expanded to include all students in grades 1-6, with a total of 109 participants. This situation presented its own challenges in implementing the program.

Despite facing challenges in managing a large number of students, Dhiny admitted that interactive methods helped her maintain the participants’ focus and enthusiasm. Support from the school was also key to the success of this program. “I am proud and happy to be able to share my knowledge and successfully attract students to learn about local knowledge. I am also touched because all the teachers and students have noticed a change in the students’ enthusiasm for learning,” she added.

The presence of the P4 Carakan program is an example of how community service activities can serve to empower the community while also promoting local culture that has begun to be marginalized. The P4 Carakan program is proof that efforts to preserve and revive culture can begin in small classrooms in rural areas. Through continuous cooperation, cultural preservation does not only remain at a symbolic level, but can also find its relevance in the midst of community life, namely as a form of national identity and the cultural wealth of the archipelago.