Yogyakarta, 18/9/2025 — The Korean Language and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada, held a guest lecture for the course Comprehensive Korean I under the theme “흥미로운 세상: EPS TOPIK and Korean Language for Migrant Workers.” The event took place at the Soegondo Building Auditorium and featured program alumnus Adam Ferdian Bagastama, S.Hum., as the main speaker.

In his presentation, Adam shared firsthand experiences about the career prospects for graduates of the Korean Language and Culture Study Program. He previously worked as a translator at a textile factory producing footwear before becoming an instructor at LPK Hankuk Sippo in Tulungagung, East Java. Each year, the institution trains more than 200 participants preparing to join the official Indonesia–Korea government-to-government (G to G) employment program.

Adam also explained that one of the main requirements for joining the program is passing the EPS TOPIK (Employment Permit System – Test of Proficiency in Korean), a language proficiency test focused on practical and job-specific vocabulary relevant to fields such as manufacturing, fisheries, shipbuilding, and services.

To provide a real experience, students were invited to take part in a quiz consisting of EPS TOPIK-style questions. Aura, one of the participants, admitted that the questions were quite challenging. “The quiz was difficult because the vocabulary was very specific and different from what we usually learn in class,” she said.

Through this guest lecture, students are expected not only to understand the importance of mastering Korean academically but also to gain a clearer picture of concrete career opportunities after graduation, both within Indonesia and through official employment programs in South Korea.

Author: Sherina Azmi A

Yogyakarta, September 17, 2025 – The Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, held a public lecture titled “Historiography of Indonesian Islam.” The event featured Yumi Sugahara, a scholar from Osaka University, as a visiting lecturer to discuss cross-national perspectives in writing the history of Indonesian Islam.

In her presentation, Sugahara emphasized that historiography is not merely “a record of events,” but also reflects cultural perspectives in constructing historical narratives. She highlighted the differences between Japanese and Indonesian historians, particularly in relation to the intersections of Islam, culture, and national history.

Several significant scholarly works were referenced in her lecture, including M.C. Ricklefs’ A History of Modern Indonesia since c.1200 (4th edition, Macmillan Education UK, 2008), regarded as one of the most authoritative references in modern Indonesian historiography, and Anthony Reid’s Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce, 1450–1680 (Yale University), which explores the early modern period of maritime Southeast Asia.

The question-and-answer session unfolded dynamically, with discussions ranging from how Japanese and Indonesian societies differently perceive the relationship between religion and national history, to the contrasting perspectives of Japanese, Western, and Indonesian historians in interpreting Islamicate culture in the archipelago.

This public lecture offered fresh insights for students and academics on cross-cultural approaches to the historiography of Indonesian Islam while also strengthening international academic networks.

The event aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) by fostering historical literacy and critical understanding, as well as SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through academic collaboration across nations.

[Public Relations Office, FIB UGM – Alma Syahwalani]

Yogyakarta, 15/9/2025 – The Master’s Program in Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, held a public lecture titled “Make the Invisible Visible Again: Race, Gender, and Language in Popular Literature.” The event took place on Monday (15/9) at the Soegondo Auditorium, FIB UGM, featuring Dr. Ashika Prajnya Paramita, S.S., M.A. as the keynote speaker.

The lecture was attended by students and literature enthusiasts eager to explore how ideology operates within popular texts. With an engaging and communicative style, Dr. Ashika emphasized that literature is never a neutral narrative but always carries underlying ideologies, often hidden in plain sight.

Opening her talk with the questions “What’s visible?” and “What’s invisible?”, Dr. Ashika illustrated how everyday objects and cultural products that appear neutral are in fact loaded with ideological meaning. Examples ranged from the skin-tone bias in band-aids, beauty discourses in advertisements, to the privileging of certain languages over others. Quoting Antonio Gramsci, she reminded the audience that ideology operates through common sense—perceptions that society accepts as natural. “Everyday ideology is always around us. If we are not aware, we need to check,” she explained.

Dr. Ashika further examined how race and gender are represented in popular works, particularly in superhero films. She discussed debates surrounding Sam Wilson as Captain America and the assumption that Barack Obama’s presidency signaled the end of racism in the United States, while in reality, racial tensions persisted.

On gender, she highlighted how physical strength in superhero films is typically coded as masculine, while female characters are often given invisible or passive powers. Citing Judith Butler (1993), she reminded participants that “Gender is a kind of imitation for which there is no original,” stressing that masculinity and femininity are constructed and constantly shifting.

Bringing the discussion closer to home, Dr. Ashika invited the audience to critically read representations in the Indonesian film Satria Dewa: Gatotkaca (2022). She pointed out how white-skinned characters were often depicted as bosses, while darker-skinned characters appeared as security guards or lower-class workers. Language use also reinforced hierarchies, with Javanese accents assigned to “village folk,” while the protagonist spoke Jakarta urban slang.

“Literature is never just stories. Ideologies hide in plain sight. Reading critically is seeing power,” she concluded, marking the end of her main lecture.

The Q&A session was lively, with questions ranging from the representation of women in comics, ideological bias in reading literature, to the masculine standards in modern superheroes. Dr. Ashika underscored that ideological progress is never linear but rather messy and full of resistance. She also reminded the audience of the importance of readers’ critical awareness in examining their own biases.

This public lecture demonstrated that the study of popular literature goes beyond entertainment, offering critical reflections on power, representation, and ideology in everyday life. Through this event, the Master’s Program in Literature at UGM reaffirmed its commitment to providing an academic space that engages with contemporary issues while equipping students with critical perspectives in reading texts and culture.

Author: Marsya Kamila / Public Relations, Master’s Program in Literature

Yogyakarta, 11/9/2025 – The Master’s Program in Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, hosted a two-day creative writing workshop on flash fiction, held on Tuesday (9/9) and Thursday (11/9) at Soegondo Building, Room 125, FIB UGM.

The event featured international creative writer Alexandra Masri Do, widely known as Maz Do, who holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in fiction from Cornell University, USA. Currently in Yogyakarta on a Fulbright scholarship for creative writing and research, Maz Do has published short stories in renowned literary journals such as Guernica, The Baffler, and McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern. The workshop was attended by around 20 participants, not only from the Master’s Program in Literature at UGM but also from various backgrounds outside the program who shared an interest in creative writing.

The first session, titled “Flash Fiction: Discover the Art of Short-Form Storytelling”, introduced the fundamentals of flash fiction as a compact narrative form capable of delivering depth within brevity. Alexandra opened the workshop with a provocative exercise called the Lying Exercise by Steven Doung.

She emphasized that this practice is essential because writing fiction, in a positive sense, involves “lying” by creating new realities through imagination. “Fiction is a lie, but it is a lie that reveals truth. As writers, we invent, we fabricate—but through this act of lying, we reach something deeply human and meaningful,” Maz Do explained.

Through this exercise, participants were encouraged to realize that the “lies” crafted in fiction can, in fact, serve as gateways to broader truths. Following this, Maz Do elaborated on key elements such as shape, perspective, and how a story can be viewed as a series of questions that challenge readers’ expectations.

The second session, titled “Generative Creative Workshop: Write Your Own Flash Fiction”, focused more on practice and story development. Participants engaged in simple yet imaginative exercises such as the Chair Exercise, which connected words to visuals and personal memories. Starting with the word “chair”, participants explored synonyms, compared the visual images that arose, and linked them to personal memories. From these associations, they were asked to compose short sentences and share them in group discussions.

Enthusiasm was evident throughout both days of the workshop. The atmosphere was dynamic, filled with discussions, partner activities, and reflective sharing. The presence of participants from diverse backgrounds—academics, students, and literary enthusiasts alike—brought unique perspectives into the creative process.

The workshop provided valuable insights into how a short narrative can powerfully evoke readers’ imagination. More than just theory, Maz Do equipped participants with practical skills in writing, revising, and sharpening literary sensitivity.

Through this program, the Master’s Program in Literature, FIB UGM reaffirms its commitment to creating open, innovative, and internationally engaged learning spaces. With guidance from Maz Do, flash fiction has proven to be a refreshing medium for exploring imagination and enriching today’s literary practice.

Author: Marsya Kamila / Public Relations, Master’s Program in Literature

Yogyakarta, 17/5/2025 – A student of the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture study program, class of 2023, Maysa Putri Fatihah, won the 1st runner-up prize in the Javanese Script Literacy competition. This competition was held by Pura Pakualaman in the framework of the 219th (in Javanese year) Hadeging Kadipaten Pakualaman Ngayogyakarta. This year, the Hadeging Kadipaten Pakualaman event carries the theme ‘Manggala Gati Wiwaraning Rat’.

This Javanese Script Literacy Competition is divided into two categories, namely General and Students. For the general category, the competition is to translate Latin text into Javanese script and draw rerenggan/illustrations according to the participants’ interpretation of the contents of the text. The questions are in the form of macapat songs from the Sestra Ageng Adidarma manuscript text collected by the Widyapustaka Pakualaman Library. This text contains 6 verses of the Durma song, all of which must be depicted in the renggan, but only the first verse is translated. The text was given when the registration was announced, so participants could prepare illustration ideas well in advance.

On the day of the event, participants were given 5 hours to complete the work. During the process, participants were prohibited from opening their cellphones, copying letters, or plagiarizing images. The committee only provided drawing paper with Pakualaman stickers to minimize cheating.

Maysa’s work itself has a deep meaning. She mentioned in the description of her rerenggan that the color red symbolizes courage, while blue symbolizes peace and noble character. In the ornament under the renggan, a circle is depicted which has the meaning of rat or universe. In addition, there are ornaments of cannons, arrows, and spears as weapons of war. These weapons of war symbolize a source of strength or support to achieve victory.

Apart from Maysa, there were 2 other students from the 2023 batch who took part in this competition, namely Rafi Nur Fauzy and Rafif Wicaksono. Both are among the top 10 nominees with the best works. By participating in this competition, it is hoped that students can love and appreciate the literary works left by our ancestors more.

“It certainly feels happy to have the opportunity to participate in the Javanese script literacy competition and win. It’s great to meet great people there (especially philologists). Alhamdulillah, I was able to bring home the trophy from Pakualaman and make my parents proud. Hopefully, my other friends will be motivated so that in the next opportunity they can participate and compete together,” said Maysa.

Authors: Haryo Untoro