Yogyakarta, August 13, 2024 – The Faculty of Humanities of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) successfully held the inaugural lecture for new undergraduate students of the Class of 2024 with the theme “The Role of Humanities in the 21st Century”. The event was held on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, from 08.00 WIB to 11.00 WIB at Soegondo Building, UGM. Facing the number of participants reaching 700 people, this inaugural lecture was held offline at Soegondo Auditorium and online in various classes that had been determined. The division of rooms for this event was as follows:

– Soegondo Auditorium: Students of the Cultural Anthropology, Indonesian Language and Literature, and Tourism Study Programs.

– Soegondo Room 707: Students of the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture, French Language and Literature, and History programs.

– Soegondo Room 625+627: Students of Korean Language and Culture Study Program.

– Soegondo Room 521+522: Students of the English Literature Study Program.

– Soegondo Room 407+409: Students of the Arabic Literature Study Program.

– Soegondo Room 310: Students of Japanese Language and Culture Study Program.

– Soegondo Room 226+227: Students of the Archaeology Study Program.

The event was attended by Heads of Departments and Heads of Undergraduate Study Programs (S1) and guided by the moderator, Dr. Wulan Tri Astuti, S.S., M.A.. This event certainly presents excellent speakers: Prof. Dr. Fadlil Munawaar Manshur, M.S., Prof. Dr. Bambang Hudayana, M.A., Prof. Dr. Sangidu, M.Hum., and Prof. Dr. Hendrokumoro, M.Hum. The speakers gave in-depth presentations on the contribution and relevance of the humanities in the context of the 21st century, providing valuable insights for the new students to start their academic journey. With high enthusiasm and spirit, new students are expected to absorb knowledge and inspiration from this inaugural lecture to build useful knowledge in the field of humanities.

On Saturday (15/6/2024), students of English Literature Study Program batch 2023 held a theater performance and exhibition with the theme “Ru(me)nation” which was held at Soegondo Building 7th floor, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM. The theater performance entitled Carol ad Caroline and the exhibition entitled 1001: One Frame, A Thousand Pictures is a part of their final project that must be fulfilled in the Language and Literature Production course. The event was organized by all students of English Literature UGM class of 2023 and attended by lecturers, students, parents of students of English Literature UGM, and also by the public.

This event aims to improve students’ ability to work in the use of English, increase students’ appreciation of art and literature, and develop students’ talents, potential, and soft skills. The benefits of this activity are no other than equipping students with non-technical skills in terms of organizing and running events, improving their ability to use English in oral and written form in academic and non-academic environments, and enriching students’ knowledge in their artwork appreciation and self-confidence through artwork production.

The event was opened with much enthusiasm by the host, followed by a warm welcome by the Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, M.Hum. and Alvanita, S.S., M.Ed. as the lecturer of the course. In the welcome speech, Mrs. Alvanita mentioned that the students have been practicing for months in order to present this theater performance to the whole audience. 

The theme of the theater performance was a topic related to mental health and self-acceptance, which is no longer out of place, especially among fellow students. This performance is expected to open a broader perspective to the audience, the committee, and the actors on the issue of mental health. This performance is also a picture and a reminder to be fully accepting of ourselves and loving it by being gentle to our own selves and hearts. 

The event ended with a standing ovation as the audience stood up in appreciation of the spectacular performance. After this point, all the committee and performers danced together with lively music while the host read out the names of the committee and performers involved. Not to forget, all 2023 students of the UGM English Literature Study Program expressed their gratitude for the enthusiasm and participation of the audience in the success of the event.

On Wednesday, 18 July 2024, english Department UGM received a  visit from Prof. Angus James Nicholls, Ph.D, professor of Comparative Literature and German Language of  Queen Mary University of London and Dr. Soe Tjen Marching, a lecturer in South East Asian studies in School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London. The purpose of Prof. Angus James Nicholls, Ph.D and Dr. Soe Tjen Marching’s visit was to discuss a possibility of partnership between the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, especially the English Literature Program and Department of Language and Literature, with Queen Mary University of London and SOAS University of London to fulfil IKU 6. The discussion was conducted at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, led by Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, M.Hum., Vice Dean of Academic and Student Affairs and a lecturer in the English Department UGM. 

The topic regarding the challenges of teaching literature in the era of technological development was discussed in the meeting. One of the challenges is how to anticipate the use of AI in literary studies. AI’s ability to automatically generate text can be an obstacle in the learning process if being abused by students. Another example of the challenges is how to teach literature to Gen Z, through digital media and social media. 

Apart from the discussion about challenges in teaching literature in the current era, there was also a discussion about the forms of collaboration that can be implemented between the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, especially the English Literature Program and Department of Language and Literature, with Queen Mary University of London and SOAS University of London. The potential collaborations can be done through some courses (such as World Literature and COmparative Literature) and a collaborative class in the form of team teaching. These collaborations have many possibilities to be developed in the future.

In June 2024, Leni, an English Literature student from the 2020 batch at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), embarked on a journey that enriched her experiences through the Global Experience (GEx) program organized by the National University of Singapore (NUS).

This program held from June 2nd to 28th, 2024, with the aim of introducing NUS students to the rich cultural heritage of Indonesia through visits to creative artists in Bandung and Yogyakarta. In Bandung, the activities took place at various locations such as Navetta, Dago Pojok, Cibunut Creative Village, and Omah Budaya Cigondewah. In Yogyakarta, they visited places like IVAA, Cemeti Art Institute, Street Art Tour, and Heri Dono Studio. The program consisted of one professor from NUS, one student assistant from NUS, 15 NUS students, and two student assistants from UGM. Leni was lucky to receive this valuable opportunity.

Leni joined the program after meeting Prof. Kiven during the 2023 Cultural Exchange, an annual collaboration between the UGM English Literature Program and NUS. Before the Cultural Exchange began, Leni was asked to assist three professors from NUS, including Prof. Kiven, in their preliminary survey in Yogyakarta. During the survey, they visited the Tactic Plastic community, a group of artists who create art from plastic waste. A few months later, UGM students who participated in the Cultural Exchange had the chance to visit Singapore and study at NUS, with one of the lectures delivered by Prof. Kiven. During this time, Prof. Kiven invited Leni to join as a fixer or liaison to help communicate with the artists in Yogyakarta for the GEx Bandung-Jogja program.

While working with the NUS team, Leni experienced a high level of professionalism. They highly valued punctuality, adhered to the schedule, and had detailed and clear work contracts. Prof. Kiven and the NUS students left a very positive impression on Leni due to their appreciative, caring, and understanding attitudes, and they never judged her shortcomings. From this experience, Leni gained many valuable lessons and the opportunity to build and strengthen her international network.

Through this program, Leni learned that seemingly ordinary things around her, such as artists, actually play a significant role in society. Art as a medium of expression often becomes an effective tool to deliver social issues. Moreover, in Singapore, artists are not as free as in Indonesia due to many regulations that restrict them, making the art in Indonesia feel more honest. This realization made Leni appreciate the freedom that can still be enjoyed in Indonesia, a great blessing often taken for granted.

Leni strongly encourages her fellow students to join and engage with international communities. She believes that such involvement can enrich one’s perspective on social phenomenas around us. Although geographically close, Singapore and Indonesia have culturally different habits and traditions. In conclusion, Leni believes that being involved in international communities can provide valuable insights that serve as a crucial life resource.

Photo 1: Leni with NUS Students at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM