In order to celebrate the 57th anniversary, the Faculty of Philosophy, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) held a karawitan festival that lasted for two days, on July 20–21, 2024. The festival was attended by 47 musical groups, both internal and external, at Universitas Gadjah Mada. One of the groups that performed at the event was Gamelan Sastra Nusantara (Gamasutra).

Gamelan Sastra Nusantara (Gamasutra) is a unit consisting of students of the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM. The group focuses on studying, deepening, and presenting the musical arts. On Sunday, July 21, 2024, precisely at 13.00 WIB, Gamasutra took the stage for their performance. The performers, consisting of various generations, presented Gending Ladrang Bogasampir, Ketawang Kasatriyan, and Lancaran Sebet in slendro pathet sanga.

Reporting from gloriabarus on the philosophy.ugm.ac.id page (2024, July 20), Dr. Rr. Siti Murtiningsih, S.S., M.Hum., dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, explained in her speech that the existence of the karawitan festival is a place to enjoy, preserve, and absorb the philosophical values of this traditional Javanese musical art. In this case, Gamasutra, as an extension of the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program, participates in this collaboration with the aim of preserving and reviving this noble art. Through the karawitan festival, it is hoped that the karawitan art can continue to be appreciated and developed, not only remaining beautiful and sustainable, but also relevant, alive, and useful in the lives of Indonesian people.

Author: Haryo Untoro

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gloriabarus. (2024, July 20). Faculty of Philosophy Holds Two-Day Karawitan Festival, Featuring 47 Karawitan Groups Throughout Yogyakarta. Filsafat.ugm.ac.id. https://filsafat.ugm.ac.id/2024/07/20/fakultas-filsafat-gelar-festival-karawitan-selama-dua-hari-menampilkan-47-kelompok-karawitan-se-diy/

IMAGE SOURCE

Philosophy UGM (2024, July 21). Karawitan Festival 57th Anniversary of Faculty of Philosophy UGM Day 2 Session 2. Youtube. [Retrieved 32:36, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQYastAouYg

On Wednesday July 17th, 2024, Pura Pakualaman held a traditional ceremony of Labuhan at Glagah Beach, Glagah Sub-district, Kapanewon Temon, Kulon Progo Regency, Yogyakarta. This Labuhan ceremony is held every 10 Muharram or 10 Sura. Together with a lecturer and servant of Pura Pakualaman, Dr. Ratna Saktimulya, M.Hum., as many as 20 students of the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM) had the opportunity to follow the Labuhan traditional procession.

In its implementation, there are special provisions in the form of clothing that must be worn by students. The students’ clothes are traditional Pranakan clothes and jarit, while the female students’ clothes are kebaya and jarit. The participants gathered at 06.00 WIB at Pura Pakualaman before continuing the journey to Pesanggrahan Glagah by bus. Once there, students followed a series of ceremonies and blessings. The Ubarampe that had been prayed for was then paraded, and the participants followed it to Joglo Labuhan. Some gunungan are then thrown into the sea.

The procurement of this Labuhan tradition is a form of gratitude to God Almighty, praying for the ancestors, and hoping for safety, health, and prosperity for the community. For students, the Labuhan tradition at Glagah Beach is a golden opportunity to dive directly into and understand this fair form of Javanese culture. This direct cultural experience and interaction is expected to be a means of developing their scientific competence.

Thus, the opportunity given by Pura Pakualaman to the students of the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program is a real effort to build understanding as well as steps to preserve Javanese culture.

The public lecture entitled “Exploring The Narratives of Indonesian Ex-migrations to Taiwan” was successfully held on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at the Margono Building on the 2nd floor of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada from 10:00 to 12:00 WIB. The event, which was open to the public, was attended by lecturers and students of the faculty who have an interest in the topic of international migration. A question and answer session was held directly during the presentation of the material, providing an opportunity for participants to interact with the speaker. The speaker in this public lecture was an international student who is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Lithuania. This public lecture discussed several important aspects related to Indonesian migration to Taiwan. The topics explained in accordance with the title are Migration Background, Migration History, Migrant Experience, Identity and Community, Success Stories and Difficulties, Role of Media and Narratives, Policy and Support, Social and Economic Interaction, and Comparison with Migration to Other Countries.

The moral panic in the West over migration reflects the psychological state of society in which certain phenomena are perceived as threats to social values and interests. In this context, the moral panic about migration in the West is mounting and increasing, seen in cases such as the US-Mexico border, migrant boats heading to Europe and Australia, and the “green border” from Belarus to EU countries. Migration is often seen as a threat to Western culture and values, particularly to the liberal democratic order. In addition, migration is also considered a tool or weapon used by authoritarian regimes. The difficulty in controlling migration and reaching a common agreement among EU countries adds to the complexity of the issue, making it a political topic that divides nationalists and multiculturalists. In contemporary Western discourse, migration is often perceived as something that happens outside of government control. The public feels that government control only comes after migration has occurred, especially in terms of how to organize and integrate migrants, with a general sensation that Europe is like a train that has gone off the track. In Southeast Asia, migration does not seem to generate the same moral panic. This may be because migration regimes are more well-structured to meet market and societal needs, and migration is perceived and communicated not as a problem, but as a solution to the country’s underlying problems.

Lithuania’s migration trends show complex and diverse dynamics. Initially, migration flows from Lithuania to countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Norway were dominated by economic migrants working in factories with challenging conditions or in domestic care. Children of this generation were often raised by their grandparents, while remittances from migrants were used to build houses. However, negative images of migrants developed, associating them with low-quality work, betrayal of the state, and bad stereotypes such as the image of a plane full of drunk migrants returning to Lithuania. On the other hand, positive images of migrants began to emerge, emphasizing the experience and better lifestyle they had gained. Efforts to change the image of migrants and counter stereotypes are made through various programs, such as the Lithuanian government’s “Global Lithuania” aimed at migrant reintegration and diaspora relations (2012-2021) and the “Strategic Guidelines for the Lithuanian Diaspora Policy for 2022-2030.” In addition, the television show “(Ne)migrantal” emphasizes the shift from mere survival to achieving quality of life and personal success. The program aims to challenge the negative image of Lithuanian migrants and show the difference between long-time migrants and those currently seeking entry into the EU. The trend of migrants returning to the homeland also emerges when the economy improves, despite its repeated and failed referendums on dual citizenship. It is hoped that these topics will provide a comprehensive picture of Indonesians’ migration experience to Taiwan and the impact it has on both sides.

Saturday, July 20th, 2022, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University, was invited to participate in the closing ceremony of the Summer Course program between UGM, Victoria University, and the Indonesian Institute of the Arts, Yogyakarta. The event was held in the Dean’s Building of the Faculty of Arts, Media, and Recording, ISI Yogyakarta, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM Western Indonesian Time. The closing ceremony began with an opening speech from Mr. Kiernan, a representative from Victoria University, followed by an opening speech from Dr. Edial Rusli, S.E., M.Sn, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Media, and Recording, ISI Yogyakarta. The event was enlivened by video presentations from each group. As we know, the output of this activity was a short video about their journey in Yogyakarta. Each group presented diverse videos, ranging from the process of making traditional apem cakes, visits to Malioboro and Beringharjo Market, and musical collaborations.

After the official closing, the event continued with a group photo session to capture the moments of togetherness among the participants, the committee, and the lecturers. This group photo was taken inside the Dean’s Building of the Faculty of Arts, Media, and Recording, ISI Yogyakarta, in a friendly atmosphere.

Next, all participants were invited to enjoy a dinner prepared by the committee. The dishes served included various Indonesian specialties such as pastel and solo sausage. This dinner together was not only a moment to enjoy local cuisine but also an opportunity to chat, share stories, and strengthen relationships among participants from various universities and cultural backgrounds.

The dinner was accompanied by traditional music, adding to the warm and friendly atmosphere. The entire series of closing events went smoothly and left a deep impression on all participants. They not only gained new knowledge and experiences but also beautiful memories that will always be remembered throughout their lives.

On Monday, July 15, 2024, Professor Dr. Sangidu, M.Hum., a Professor of Middle Eastern Cultural Studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada, was invited as a speaker at the Graduation and Scientific Oration event for prospective graduates of the Faculty of Ushuluddin Adab and Dakwah at Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah State Islamic University, Tulungagung, for the even semester of the 2023/2024 academic year. This event carried the theme ‘Graduates of Ushuluddin Adab and Dakwah and the Challenges of the Intelligence World’ and was also attended by Professor Dr. Masdar Hilmy, S.Ag. M.A., Ph.D., a Professor at Sunan Ampel State Islamic University, Surabaya, the Rector of Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah State Islamic University, Prof. Dr. H. Abd. Aziz, M.Pd.I., the Dean of the Faculty of Ushuluddin Adab and Dakwah, Prof. Dr. H. Akhmad Rizqon Khamami, Lc., M.A., vice deans, lecturers, and prospective graduates of the July 2024 period.

In his presentation, Prof. Dr. Sangidu, M. Hum., explained that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an intelligence system that allows a set of computers or other machines to think and work like humans. The era of artificial intelligence (AI) brings significant changes in various sectors, including the education sector. Therefore, both lecturers and students need to understand and adapt to these developments to maximize the benefits of AI in the teaching and learning process.

In response to the presence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, some members of the community are anxious and worried, even outright rejecting its presence. Nevertheless, it must be realized that the emergence and presence of AI cannot be blocked, rejected, or hindered, as this development is a testament to the progress of humanity in the world. Therefore, graduates of Ushuluddin Adab and Dakwah are expected not to be defensive but to seize the opportunity, adapt to the development and advancement of AI while adhering to ethics and morals based on agreed norms and conventions. The challenges faced by graduates of Ushuluddin Adab and Dakwah are not only the rapid presence of AI but also other challenges, such as deviant ideologies, secularism, and the demographic bonus of 2030. Despite this, Prof. Dr. Sangidu, M.Hum., urged the prospective graduates to not be afraid and to continue adapting and innovating to realize the nation’s aspiration of becoming a Golden Indonesia by 2045.