The Association of Middle Eastern Cultural Studies Graduate Students at Universitas Gadjah Mada (IMABTA UGM) together with the Indonesian Students Association for the Middle East and Africa (PPIDK Timtengka) successfully organized the KBTT Expo: Sharing Session on Thursday, June 13, 2024, at 16:00 online. The event featured two speakers: Prof. Dr. Sangidu, M.Hum., Head of the Intercultural Department at UGM, and Dr. Mahmudah, M.Hum., Secretary of the Intercultural Department at UGM. Participants included students from Indonesian universities and several universities in the Middle East, namely Egypt and South Africa. They were very enthusiastic about the event, as evidenced by the many questions asked during the Q&A session.

The goal of the KBTT UGM Expo: Sharing Session was to provide detailed information and understanding to students, both in Indonesia and the Middle East, regarding the application process, courses in the KBTT UGM Master’s program, and scholarship opportunities. Prof. Sangidu mentioned that the requirements and application procedures can be accessed through the website um.ugm.ac.id. The KBTT UGM Master’s program has collaborated with several universities in Egypt, giving students the opportunity to participate in student exchanges with institutions such as Suez Canal University, Ain Shams University, and Benha University. Regarding the courses, Dr. Mahmudah presented the graduate profiles and research prospects in KBTT UGM. In the future, students in the program will not be limited to literary or linguistic studies but can also engage in intercultural studies, examining culture through the disciplines of anthropology, philosophy, or Islamic studies.

UGM Anthropology Department collaborated with Faculty of Social Science Chiang Mai University (CMU) Thailand to Organize Summer Course “Knowledge Enhancement Program” from June 8-14, 2024. The program, attended by 9 CMU students from Myanmar, China, Japan, Thailand, and 8 UGM Anthropology Department students, included activities such as lectures, fieldwork at three locations in Yogyakarta (Panggungharjo Village, Kaliurang, and Kali Code Village), and presentations of field findings.

The Summer Course aims to provide CMU and UGM students the opportunity to explain the conditions of their respective countries, particularly regarding economic, environmental, social, or cultural aspects of regional economic development. This is expected to foster sensitivity and critical thinking towards everyday issues through participation in field activities. Additionally, the program seeks to offer opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students and scholars from ASEAN countries to exchange and share their knowledge and culture with fellow students and academics, fostering inter-university regional relationships.

On Saturday, June 8, 2024, 9 CMU students arrived in Yogyakarta accompanied by Dr. Putthida. On Monday, June 10, 2024, the Summer Course was officially opened by the Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at UGM, Prof. Setiadi, followed by lectures from UGM Anthropology lecturers: Zamzam Fauzanafi, Ph.D., Prof. Pujo Semedi, and Dr. Pande Made Kutanegara, who provided an overview of the three fieldwork areas.

On Tuesday, June 11, 2024, CMU and UGM students, accompanied by Agung Wicaksono, Ph.D., and Dr. Putthida, began fieldwork in Panggungharjo with the topic “The Development of Yogyakarta’s Peri-Urban Regions.” At the site, students conducted observations and interviews with local residents about the changes in Panggungharjo over time, from land use changes to waste management innovations by the Panggungharjo Village Government, which has become a model for public service management.

The fieldwork continued to the second location in Kaliurang, specifically in Padukuhan Kaliurang Timur, with the theme “The Wealth and Poverty in Rural Yogyakarta.” Similar to previous activities, each CMU student was paired with a UGM student as a translator. In Kaliurang, participants received materials on the causes and impacts of poverty experienced by the local community and visitors.

On Wednesday, June 12, 2024, Summer Course participants continued fieldwork in Kampung Kalicode. There, they met with Pak Totok, a tour guide, who explained the history of Kampung Kalicode. This fieldwork focused on the theme “Inter-Ethnicity Relations in Yogyakarta City,” observing the dynamics and relationships between ethnic and religious groups in Kampung Kalicode.

To conclude the Summer Course, on Thursday, June 13, 2024, students were asked to present their findings from the fieldwork. Each student offered their perspectives and reflections based on what they discovered in their country and fieldwork areas. Dr. Putthida, who accompanied the CMU students, hoped that the UGM-CMU Summer Course would contribute significantly to national and regional efforts toward development and tolerance of socio-economic, political, and cultural diversity, which are key to successful regional integration.

Authors: Bety Oktaviani & Vincamira Tasha Florika

On June 14, 2024, the French Language and Literature Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) received a donation of Italian books from Laura Romano. Laura Romano is an Italian language lecturer who taught in the French Literature Program at UGM from around 2003 to 2009. Currently, Laura Romano is an Indonesian citizen originally from Italy and a practitioner of Sumarah. She now resides in the city of Solo.

The books donated by Laura Romano came from her personal library. The shipment included 10 boxes of books categorized into several themes. These categories included Philosophy and History, Italian Language Lessons, Novels, Spirituality, as well as CDs and DVDs. The total number of books, CDs, and DVDs donated reached 261 items. The collection is quite diverse, with one of the notable works being an Italian version of Marcel Proust’s writings. Additionally, many of the CDs and DVDs are Italian-language films, including the movie “La Neve nel Cuore.”

Laura Romano hopes that this book donation will be beneficial for the Italian language learning activities at UGM. Moreover, for those who wish to learn through films or educational videos, the CDs and DVDs she provided are available. She also hopes that these books will help introduce Italian culture more broadly within the UGM community.

On Monday, May 27, 2024, the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program held a field lecture in the framework of the Codicology course. This activity was held at Widyabudaya Library of Keraton Ngayogyakarta and Widyapustaka Library of Pura Pakualaman. The participants of this activity were students participating in the 2024 Kodikology course, guided by Dr. Sri Ratna Saktimulya, M.Hum., as the lecturer of the course.

In this field study, students had the opportunity to see and learn firsthand about manuscripts, archives, and preservation efforts. The first location visited was Widyabudaya of Keraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat. Here, students were first entertained with warm tea drinks typical of the Keraton Yogyakarta. After that, they were divided into four groups and guided by the abdi dalem to observe in depth the collection of manuscripts, archives, and the restoration process.

The second location visited was the Widyapustaka Library of Pura Pakualaman. In this place, the participants were treated to jamu beras kencur and some traditional dishes. After enjoying the meal, the participants were given the opportunity to see the manuscript and archive collections. They also listened to explanations from librarians about the condition, aspects, and preservation of the manuscripts.

The implementation of this field study went well and smoothly. The students were very enthusiastic, as seen from their high curiosity about various manuscript and archive collections, as well as the stages of revitalization. The purpose of this activity is as a preservation event in the form of introducing Indonesian culture, especially Javanese culture, to the younger generation. Thus, it is hoped that the love for the nation’s culture in the younger generation will continue to grow and can be realized in real efforts to keep nguri-uri (preserve) and ngurip-urip (revive) the nation’s identity.

The existence of various manuscripts and archives is a source of historical traces as well as a mirror of the cultural life of their time. Therefore, preserving historical evidence and extracting information from it needs to be done as a step to understanding the form of culture, knowledge, history, and glory of the archipelago. In addition, synergy from various parties is needed to realize this. This is in line with the fourth and seventeenth points of the Sustainable Development Goals, namely presenting and improving the quality of education and cooperation between partners to achieve goals.

The Merdeka Student Exchange Program is an initiative that allows university students to study at universities in Indonesia for one semester. It aims to enhance their learning experience and strengthen unity in diversity. PMM targets to involve 204 recipient universities and accept 15,505 students as participants of this program. One of the universities that received the program is of course Gadjah Mada University. There are many students who have exchanged to this campus and not a few who managed to qualify to study at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences. The students came from various universities from all over Indonesia, and some even came from abroad, namely 2 students from Hankuk University, South Korea.

After almost 6 months of PMM students studying, they will finally be released to return to their respective universities after completing the Final Semester Examination. Therefore, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences took the initiative to organize a farewell event for them. The event was held at Teras Langit Turi on Thursday, June 13, 2024 and was attended by 24 students and a number of lecturers representing each study program. They gathered at 4pm at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences and departed together using the bus that had been prepared for them. After traveling for about half an hour, they arrived at the venue. There they were served various drinks, food, snacks, and heavy meals. While eating the dishes, they were invited to share their respective experiences during college. They captured the moment together before going home.