To deepen the study of Southeast Asia and deepen academic cooperation with Indonesia, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences held a special visit to the NCCU College of Foreign Language and Literature on December 15, 2023 (Friday). The delegation on this visiting team was Prof. Setiadi, M. Si., dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, SS, M. Hum, dean of academic and student affairs, and Drs. Muhadi Sugiono, M.A., a representative from the Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies.

First of all, the Dean of NCCU College of Foreign Language and Literature, Zheng Jiayu, gave the opening speech. He thanked the group of guests from Indonesia who had come to visit. Next, the conversation was continued by Vice President Zhao Jingqi who gave a brief explanation about the NCCU College of Foreign Language and Literature. After that, we continued with Assistant Professor Cheng Ji Shiwei and Assistant Professor Bao Qiyun from the Bachelor of Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures who each introduced plans regarding Indonesian language courses and academic activities.

In the next material presentation session, Prof. Setiadi, M. Si., gave a presentation on the internationalization of Indonesian. Then Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, SS, M.Hum explained the academic environment of Gadjah Mada University by explaining the INCULS program owned by FIB UGM. The presentation from the FIB UGM team was closed by Drs. Muhadi Sugiono, M.A. explained that ASEAN Identity consists of politics and security, economics, society, and culture. The community supports Southeast Asia’s plan to build a community of “One Vision, One Identity, One Community” in the future.

Finally, Dean Zheng Jiayu and Prof. Dr. Setiadi, M. Si signed a cooperation agreement between the two institutions and exchanged copies. The agreement aims to increase academic cooperation between the two parties, including student exchanges, double degrees, consistent five-year bachelor/master plans, exchange of teachers and researchers, cooperation in organizing lectures, seminars, workshops, etc. .,. With the signing of this MOU, it is hoped that it can further enhance cooperation and exchanges between schools, enrich teaching and research material resources in Southeast Asia, provide more international exchange channels for teachers and students, and foster international professional relations.

At the same time, Zhao Jingqi, deputy dean and program director, signed an academic cooperation plan agreement between the program and the Southeast Asian Social Research Center with Drs. Muhadi Sugiono, MA, to promote cooperation in teaching and research between the two parties, such as summer course programs, internships, cooperative research, and publishing, etc.

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On Friday, December 8 2023, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University won second place in the Gadjah Mada University Public Relations Award. This award was given in recognition of the success of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences in the Page Management category. This achievement is the result of dedication and innovation in the public relations program, which involves superior products in six categories, including page management, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, press releases and communication campaigns. This achievement not only strengthens the faculty’s reputation but also becomes an inspiration for the entire academic community in developing innovation in the field of website development at the faculty level.

The research results of the Pakpak Bharat survey and excavation team through its important heritage of mejan (an ancient relic) have been disseminated to all stakeholders in Pakpak Bharat Regency, North Sumatra, on Monday, 18 December 2023 in Salak, Pakpak Bharat, North Sumatra. Mejan is an ancestral heritage of Pakpak Bharat in the form of statues that are special and unique because they are not found in other regions and therefore deserve to be a proud identity of the Pakpak Bharat community.

The research team coordinator, Dr Mimi Savitri, M.A. outlined the importance of knowledge of the past life of the Pakpak Bharat community related to the existence of mejan. According to her, mejan is a marker, centre, or source of Pakpak people’s life in the past, because the social, economic, cultural, ritual, and gender equality of Pakpak Bharat’s ancestors is known from the remaining mejan that exist up to this moment. One important thing in studying the lives of Pakpak Bharat’s ancestors through mejan is the fact that their ancestor always embracing peace as the upmost value. Peace is one of the most crucial factor on successful development of a nation, which happened to be the goal in SDG’S 16.

Regional Secretary of Pakpak Bharat, Jalan Berutu, S.Pd. M.M. who was present representing the Regent expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the Research Team from the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM, because this collaboration is seen as a major step in the preservation of Pakpak Bharat Cultural Heritage. The cooperation between the two parties is an effort to achieve SDG’s 17 in the form of partnership to achieve goals. He also stated that this dissemination is important for determining the next development strategy of Pakpak Bharat in order to improve people’s welfare. This is in accordance with SDG’s 1 related to life without poverty and SDG’s 12 in the form of efforts to improve the quality of the environment in order to support the implementation of Development.

The National Student Scientific Week (PIMNAS) is an annual national scientific competition organised by the National Achievement Centre (Pusat Prestasi Nasional). In the 36th PIMNAS event held at Padjadjaran University on Thursday (30/11/2023), the Faculty of Cultural Sciences Student Team won double gold and silver medals. The team was led by Ilham Nur Rahman (Agricultural Industrial Technology) with members Abdila (History), Ilham Andriyanto (Cultural Anthropology), Hanieke Syahla (Cultural Anthropology), and Mia Fadilah (Biology). The team was mentored by Dr Aprillia Firmonasari, S.S., M.Hum., DEA.

This medal was won from their research entitled “Ethnobotanical Index of Rejang Tribe: Shifting, Inheritance, and Conservation Strategy of Local Knowledge Towards Food Security in Indonesia”. In the research, the team examined the shift and process of inheritance of knowledge of cultivation and utilisation of food plants in the Rejang Tribe, and used it as a basis for preparing a policy framework for food security. With an interdisciplinary research concept, the team combined the quantitative approach of knowledge index to detect knowledge shifts and ethnography to explore knowledge inheritance patterns.

On Monday, 27 November 2023, the Tourism Study Programme of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences Universitas Gadjah Mada (Tourism Study Programme FIB UGM) received a guest visit from Management and Science University Malaysia (MSU). This visit is part of the University Visit activity which is held with the main purpose of conducting a comparative study between the Tourism Study Programmes of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM and MSU Malaysia.

The forum began with a warm welcome from Wiwik Sushartami, a representative of the UGM Tourism study programme, which was then followed by remarks from Nur Amirah, who represented MSU as a substitute for the dean. The first session of the schedule started with a brief presentation on the profile of Management and Science University (MSU). In this session, Mrs Nur Amirah gave a comprehensive overview of MSU (what is MSU, how is their remark in Malaysian education etc). Furthermore, the forum continued with art performances (dancing and singing) from MSU students. This art performance’s purpose entirely covers the richness of Malaysian culture.The next session from MSU was followed by an in-depth presentation on Malaysian culture delivered by their students.

After that, the Tourism Study Programme of FIB UGM introduced its study programme, including the profiles of several teaching staff who play a role in the formation of the next generation in the field of tourism. Interesting information was also delivered through presentations about Pancoh Tourism Village and Jogja Philosophical Axis by Tourism Study Programme students.

The QnA session was the highlight of the interaction between the students of Tourism Study Programme of FIB UGM and MSU. In this session, there were a lot of interesting questions asked by both Tourism study programme students and MSU students. Both sides showed great interest in each other’s culture. In closing, the University Visit ended with a group photo session and a short campus tour, giving a positive final impression and strengthening the relationship between educational institutions. This event not only opened up space for academic discussions but also enriched cross-cultural experiences for all participants.