SDGs 4: Quality Education | SDGs 17: Partnerships for the Goals

As in previous years, in the even semester of the 2023/2024 Academic Year, the Korean Language and Culture Study Program are sending two students to South Korea to participate in a student exchange program. The two students managed to get the opportunity to study at Busan University of Foreign Studies and Soongsil University during the Spring 2024 period. This program is a result of collaboration between the Korean Language and Culture Study Program and these two universities. Not only that, they also have the opportunity to obtain a Global Korea Scholarship scholarship which is also the result of collaboration between the Korean Language and Culture Study Program and the Global Korea Scholarship. The following is a brief introduction from the two students.

The first student is Raden Ajeng Dian Sari, a student from batch 2022, who chose Busan University of Foreign Studies as her destination university. She saw this as a very valuable opportunity for herself. Through this program, she wants to experience the things that will be the key to her success in the future. She also advised her friends to never be afraid to try, because we are all stronger than we think. The second student is Rohadatul ‘Aisy Hamdaini from batch 2022, who will explore new experiences at Soongsil University. At first, she never expected to get this opportunity. So she was very grateful. Through this program, she has a vision to balance her academic and non-academic activities. She hopes that she will be able to explore the language and culture in Korea. Finally, she said “it is better to regret having done something, than to regret not having done it.”

With this, fellow students from the Korean Language and Culture Study Program and others are expected to have greater enthusiasm and strong motivation to achieve their dreams. Moreover, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences really supports the students to participate in international mobility. The existence of strong cooperation between the Faculty of Cultural Sciences and global institutions serves as a support from the faculty to facilitate students in undertaking international programs. And with these collaborations, various programs are created in which students can participate.

SDGs 4: Quality Education | SDGs 17: Partnerships for the Goals

On Tuesday, January 20, 2024, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences held the first meeting with students who are currently enrolled in the Faculty of Cultural Sciences through the Pertukaran Mahasiswa Merdeka (PMM) Program. The meeting was attended by the Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, M.Hum, along with 17 students from various universities in Indonesia and 5 international students from Italy, Japan, and Korea.

Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, M.Hum congratulated the students who were accepted into the Faculty of Cultural Sciences. Additionally, she provided a brief overview of life at FIB UGM and in Yogyakarta. She suggested the students to explore various aspects of life at UGM and in Yogyakarta, both academically and non-academically, in hope that it would give them new experiences.

The activity continued with guidance on filling out the Kartu Rencana Studi (KRS) / study plan by the Unit of Academic and Student Affairs. They conveyed information about campus regulations that the students should be aware of and provided an overview of various courses that they could take. During this agenda, their enthusiasm for studying at this faculty was evident, with some expressing interest in taking courses such as Indonesian Cultural Practices, particularly Traditional Dance.

In essence, the PMM program aims to provide students with a different learning experience, offering them the opportunity to experience teaching and learning activities at other universities. Additionally, they gain the experience of building relationships with students and professors at FIB UGM, with the hope of opening up possibilities for future collaboration and cooperation.

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.

Monday, 4th of July 2022 marked the start of the Department of Cultural Anthropology, Faculty of Cultural Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada’s collaborative tandem Summer School in collaboration with University of Zurich and University of Bern, and in attendance of students from UGM, Chiang Mai University, Royal University of Phnom Penh, University of Mandalay, and Ha Noi University (USSH).

During the Summer School, the students will undertake several classes on Ethnographic Methods and the newest trends and developments in the Anthropology of Work, as this Summer School will upheld After Covid? Work and Daily Life in Indonesia as its main theme. Students are then expected to produce ethnographic products, including visual, text, and audio, offering insight into Indonesians’ work and life in Indonesia in relation with their working lives post-COVID. Their research will be advised and supervised by

• Prof. Dr. Pujo Semedi (UGM),
• Prof. Dr. Annuska Derks (UZH),
• Dr. Laura Coppens (UniBern),
• Dr. Olivia Killias (UZH),
• Dr. Sita Hidayah (UGM),
• Dr. Pande Made Kutanegara (UGM),
• Dr. Realisa D. Masardi (UGM),
• Dr. Elan A. Lazuardi (UGM),
• Dr. Agung Wicaksono (UGM),
• M. Zamzam Fauzanafi, M.A. (UGM),
• Wahyu Kuncoro, M.A. (UZH)

The Summer School will run from the 4th of July, 2022, to the 22nd of July, 2022. Do say hi if you happen to meet our foreign students on campus!