At the end of 2023, a collaborative work, “Harmony in Diversity: A Journey from Jogja to Singapore, and Back,” emerged as a result of an academic collaboration between English Department, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) and the National University of Singapore (NUS). This book explains the journey of diversity and interculturalism they experienced during a cultural exchange program, emphasizing the importance of celebrating diversity and eliminating boundaries.

The book is divided into several chapters, each written by two English Department’s lecturers; Alvanita, S.S., M.Ed., and Rahmawan Jatmiko, S.S., M.A., along with ten English Department students; Maulita Shinta, Misma Ro Daud, Jesse Puspita, Leni Cahya, Mellyana Nungki, Anisa Sofiana, Aulia Muchtarom, Gabriella Novianti, Anis Daika, and Nur Aini. They pour their ideas and thoughts on the concept of multiculturalism in Singapore and Indonesia, which makes the book become a pure reflection of multiculturalism that provides insights about cross-cultural interactions. Furthermore, students’ involvement also reflects their perspectives that have developed during the cultural exchange program.

Overall, “Harmony in Diversity: A Journey from Jogja to Singapore and Back” contributes to the on going discussion on multiculturalism and cross-cultural understanding. Through the lens of English Literature, the authors invite readers to explore a journey beyond geographical boundaries and contemplate the importance of cross-cultural communication and understanding. This collaboration is expected to serve as inspiration for future cultural exchange programs and academic collaborations, serving as a tool to promote a world where diversity is celebrated, and harmony is appreciated.

From January 1st, 2023 to January 1st, 2024, Brigita Sekar, a student from the English Department, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, had the valuable opportunity to be an intern at a multinational company, SAP. This internship was organized through the SAP Student Training and Rotation (STAR) program, which is specifically designed to provide practical work experience for undergraduate students.

As a company running in software and technology, SAP offered Brigita the chance to engage in various divisions within the company during the internship. It did not only provide practical insights into various operational aspects of the company but also helped Brigita develop her soft skills. By participating in various projects and teams, she could enhance her interpersonal skills, such as leadership and communication skills, which are valuable in a professional working environment.

Moreover, she had the opportunity to visit Singapore for free as part of an office visit or to explore SAP’s office in Singapore for two weeks. This opportunity aimed to provide valuable experience in skill and capability development. Besides gaining insights from the working environment at the SAP office, this event also provided opportunities to learn more about the industry and work culture in the country. During these two weeks, Brigita had the chance to directly engage in office activities, interact with colleagues from diverse backgrounds, and gain in-depth insights into business practices in Singapore. This experience also allowed her to build a broader professional network by interacting with professionals from various parts of the SAP office, potentially paving the way for future collaborations.

Through Brigita’s experience, we can learn that internships for students are not just additional activities but an integral part that cannot be separated from the higher education process. These experiences do not only provide direct understanding of working environment and related industries but also serve as a foundation that strengthens and prepares students to face the increasingly complex challenges in the professional working environment.

Photo 1: Interview Visit for Press Release SAP and Arya Noble dengan CIO (Chief of Information Officer) Arya Noble, Yonathan Moniaga, Rizka Laksmi (Communications Lead for SAP Indonesia), and Lili Hartono (Industry Account Executive, SAP Indonesia)

Ending 2023, the FCS UGM English Literature Pradangga (Prasasti) gamelan group will perform in two places. Saturday, December 30, 2023, invited by the Wonogiri Regency Youth and Sports Department to perform at the 2023 Creative Economy Festival (Fesmikraf). The activity was centered in the Wonogiri City Square, starting at 16.00 and ending at 22.30.

The annual festival was attended by 12 art groups, most of whom were junior high school students and art studios. Prasasti is the only student group that comes from outside the Wonogiri Regency. The gamelan group led by Jardin Urbania Basundoro was allowed to go on stage at 21.00.

After the performance in Wonogiri, Prasasti was invited by the Indonesian Art Lovers and Artists Student Forum (Formatasindo) to perform on New Year’s Eve, 31 December 2023. The arts performance activity entitled 12th Gamelan Parade 2023, is an annual activity initiated by the Trustee of Formatasindo, Dr.Sukisno, M.Pd. Activities are always placed at the Omah Tinggi Arts and Culture, Tritunggal Cultural Area, Tegalcorocanan Solodiran Manisrenggo Klaten.

The 12th Gamelan Parade which took place from 13.00 and ended at 01.00, was attended by 20 gamelan groups from various universities in Yogyakarta. Prasasti is one of the gamelan groups representing FIB UGM to perform this activity.

On that occasion, Prasasti performed two songs, respectively entitled Naliswati and Hyang, which were the works of Nanang Karbito. Nanang Karbito is an Inscription trainer daily. The man from Klaten is a composer of contemporary musical songs.

Naliswati tells the story of a couple’s relationship which fails halfway, while Hyang is a song that glorifies the glory of God. Through the song Hyang, humans are reminded to always remember the greatness and all the gifts from Almighty God.

Jardin Urbania Basundoro, who was interviewed by the MC after the performance, said that Prasasti is a gamelan group that has existed for a long time at FIB UGM. This group brings together English Literature students who are interested in practicing and playing gamelan which is a noble legacy of their ancestors. Through this activity, students are directed to carry out positive activities while practicing gentleness.

Author: Prof. Dr. Purnawan Basundoro, S.S., M.Hum.

Warm Greetings from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM

Happy New Year!

On behalf of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University, we pray that this new year will bring blessings and success to all of us. Welcoming 2024, we would like to express our sincere appreciation for our cooperation so far. Hopefully, this new year will further strengthen our partnership and cooperation.

Thank You.

Warm regards,
Dean and the entire FIB UGM Family

Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Prof. Dr. Setiadi, M.Si approved the collaboration program proposed by Ma’arif Nahdlatul Ulama University Kebumen on July 17, 2023. This program is a collaborative seminar activity with the theme “Cross Cultural Understanding” which involves students of the Indonesian Language and Cultural Learning Service (INCULS) FIB, UGM, and the English Language Education Undergraduate Study Program, FKIP, UMNU Kebumen. This program is intended as a resource assignment for lecturers/teachers who are native speakers of English for enrichment lecture activities. This collaboration is carried out by proposing, organizing, and evaluating collaborative activity programs; which are scheduled for four years.

This program began to be realized on December 23 2023 by holding a Sharing Culture Talkshow event which was held at UMNU University Kebumen. In this event, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences sent several INCULS UGM students, including Sundas Ejaz from Pakistan, Nor Najinah Saad from Thailand, Sabrina Joy S. Tan from the Philippines, Mbemba Badjie from Gambia, and Ahmed Abdallah Faouzi Attia from Algeria. They are students studying culture at INCULS UGM and were accompanied in this series of events by Dr. Rudi Ekasiswanto, M. Hum. as Deputy Coordinator of INCULS UGM and Muhamad Zamchasari, S.S. as INCULS UGM teaching staff.

This event began with a Wayang Golek performance which told the multicultural history of Kebumen and continued with various Kebumen regional cultural performances including Kuda Lumping, Lawet Dance, and Pencak Silat Pagar Nusa by the students. Apart from that, traditional Kebumen culinary delights were also served to all participants. The next session was a talk show and presentation of the culture of each country by native speakers presented through INCULS FIB UGM.

This activity will become an annual program for students taking the Cross Cultural Understanding course organized by UMNU Kebumen together with the UGM Faculty of Cultural Sciences as their final project (UMNU Kebumen). This program aims to implement the Tri Dharma of Higher Education by developing collaborative activities that are mutually beneficial.