Thursday, April 25, 2024 – Delegations from Indonesia and the Netherlands gathered to attend the bilateral meeting of The 23rd Mixed Economic Commission between the Republic of Indonesia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Jakarta, Indonesia (25/4). In the agenda, both countries agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in various sectors, including economy, investment, transportation, maritime, education and culture, energy and mineral resources, and health.

On this occasion, Mr. Didin Wahyudin stated that economic cooperation between the two countries needs to be strengthened, considering the potential in trade relations, renewable energy, and the Indonesian diaspora. In the investment sector, Indonesia views its relationship with the Netherlands as an opportunity to expand cooperation with Europe. The Dutch delegation agreed to design and continue government-to-government (G to G) and government-to-business (G to B) programs on wind energy, solar power, hydrogen, and more to strengthen energy cooperation. Among the implementations already carried out by the Netherlands to deepen the understanding of energy implementation in Indonesia are collaborations with Pertamina and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). Additionally, to support maritime cooperation, the Indonesian delegation emphasised the implementation of the 2022-2025 MoU by proposing a bilateral meeting to discuss sustainable port development and sea building.

Both Indonesia and the Netherlands appreciated the participation of both countries in fostering regional economic cooperation. Financial support from the Netherlands has been highly beneficial for investment. As a Development Partner of ASEAN, the Netherlands greatly values Indonesia’s warm reception.

[Public Relation of FIB UGM, Writer: Arviani Fayzaila Ramadhanti, Editor: Rifal Fadlurrahman, Translated: Aldiza]

The Department of Anthropology at Universitas Gadjah Mada invited Professor Emeritus Sabine Troeger from the University of Bonn to teach a research methodology course. She is both an experienced educator and practitioner with decades of experience in development studies and climate change. Among her achievements is involvement in the design and implementation of programs by the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) in various African and Asian countries. The course was held in 14 sessions during September 2024 and was attended by both undergraduate and graduate Anthropology students. The general lecture with Professor Sabine also served as a preparatory class for undergraduate students selected to participate in the 2024 Merdeka Campus Competition Program (PKKM).

In this course, students had the opportunity to deepen their understanding of applying participatory methods, widely used to engage communities in empowerment programs. Rather than just listening to lectures, students tried using several tools, such as Venn diagrams, spider diagrams, and well-being matrices, to understand how they can be applied in field data collection. In the second half of the course, students presented readings from scholars like Jurgen Habermas, Foucault, and Robert Chambers, which helped them apply theories to their own research.

Although the course was conducted in a block system with consecutive sessions, participants’ enthusiasm remained high from start to finish. This was due to the varied teaching methods and the active role students played in presenting their ideas. Professor Sabine Troeger expressed her delight in conducting the course and seeing the students’ enthusiasm. To close the course, she invited her students to dinner for an informal discussion about their research interests for the future. The hope is that through such activities, quality education as aligned with SDG 4, and partnerships for shared goals as aligned with SDG 17, can be achieved.

[Public Relation of FIB UGM, Writer: Novilatul Ananda Ramadhani, Editor: Aldiza]

On Tuesday, The UGM History Department held a public lecture titled “How to Teach the History of Timor Timur in Indonesia” (9/10). Prof. Dr. Asvi Marwan Adam, a historian and researcher at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), was the keynote speaker for this lecture. The primary goal of this public lecture was to raise awareness about the history of Timor Timur, which is often presented with a limited or biased perspective.

In his opening address, Dr. Abdul Wahid, Head of UGM’s History Department, noted that this topic is particularly intriguing since it deals with a former Indonesian province and is rarely discussed in depth by academics.

“Timor Timur is our neighbor. We are so close to each other, yet unfortunately, very few Indonesians have thoroughly studied its history,” said Abdul Wahid.

In his lecture, Prof. Dr. Asvi Marwan Adam explained that his deep interest in the history of Timor Timur stemmed from the fact that it has largely disappeared from the history curriculum in Indonesia.  

“With Prabowo’s election as president and the appointment of several ministers who previously served in Timor Timur, could this pose a challenge in teaching Timor Leste’s history? Will the history being written or taught be aligned with those currently in power, meaning that military violence in the past could be covered up?” he questioned.

He emphasized that writing the history of Timor Timur is incredibly complex, especially due to the numerous human rights violations that occurred there. This complexity is reflected in the many films, books, novels, and memoirs focusing on human rights abuses in Timor Timur. Prof. Asvi’s presentation sparked an engaging and lively discussion, with the audience enthusiastically asking questions over two separate discussion sessions.

The panel concluded that a deep understanding of Timor Timur’s history is crucial to be presented objectively and openly within Indonesian education. Understanding the historical events in Timor Timur will help Indonesians view the past with a broader perspective and comprehend its impact on regional relations and humanitarian issues. By studying this history, young generations can become more critical of political interference in historical narratives and better appreciate the importance of justice and reconciliation processes.

[PR of FIB UGM: Aldiza, Translated: Aldiza, Photo: Adnan, Putu]

On Wednesday, March 6, 2024, the UGM Japanese Language and Culture Study Program (BKJ) held a webinar entitled ‘Japanese Language and Literature Webinar’. The webinar was attended by more than seventy participants combined between BKJ Study Program students and students outside the study program who have an interest in Japanese Language and Literature.

The webinar took place in two sessions, with the first session by Dr. Mulyadi, M.A. as a lecturer in Linguistics of the UGM Japanese Language and Culture Study Program and the second session by Prof. Mika Baba who is a lecturer in the Literature sub-program of the Bachelor of Cultural Sciences and Literary Sciences Program from the University of Tsukuba.

The first session was an explanation of ‘The Use of Japanese in Naming Business Entities in Lamongan Regency’. This session began with the presentation of data on the naming of business entities using Japanese taken from Google Maps. There were twenty business names from various fields that used Japanese. The data shows that the Japanese language and culture are considered to have a high appeal in attracting customers, especially among young people.

The session continued with a discussion on ‘Personal Pronouns as a Method in Modern Japanese Literature’ by Professor Mika Baba. His research focused on literary works in the second half of the 19th century (1850-1900). In Japanese literature, first person pronouns are used such as 「私」watashi,「余」yo,「己」onore,「我」ware,「僕」boku,「俺」ore, and「自分」jibun. All seven first person pronouns have the same meaning of I or me. The difference lies in the time of use such as 「余」yo which is no longer used, and「己」onore and「我」ware which can still be seen today in literary works set in the past. Another difference lies in the gender of the user. The pronouns 「僕」boku and「俺」ore are mostly used by men, while 「私」watashi is mostly used by women. Lastly, the pronoun 「自分」jibun is generally used when expressing personal opinions in a public forum.

By holding Japanese literature and language webinar activities from the two speakers, it is hoped that students can gain new knowledge related to the use of Japanese both in practice and theory. The knowledge gained later can also be utilized by academics to explore this field.

Cairo, Tuesday, February 20, 2024 – Muhammad Raushan Afkar, a student of Arabic Literature UGM, successfully completed the 3-month Cairo Credit Transfer Program. Along with 11 colleagues from Universitas Sebelas Maret, Universitas Padjajaran, and Universitas Al-Azhar Indonesia, Afkar joined the study program at the International Center for Arab Studies and Training and Faculty of Letters, Benha University, Egypt. The experience of studying in the land of camels gave him valuable knowledge about the Arabic language and culture which became an important foundation in the development of his studies.

During the program, they were not only taught practical proficiency in Arabic, but were also exposed to the rich culture and history of Arab countries. Students are given in-depth knowledge of the history of Arab civilization and Muslims, as well as the role and contribution of Islamic leaders in creating history.

In every meeting, lecturers actively involve students in listening, analyzing texts, question and answer discussions, and communicating exclusively in Arabic. Students are even encouraged to communicate only in Arabic and will be penalized with a monetary fine if they violate the rules. The money collected is then donated to help the poor people of Egypt. This shows the spirit of solidarity and social responsibility in an academic environment.

In addition, lecturers also enrich the learning experience by bringing typical Egyptian items into the classroom, such as food and cultural artifacts. Thus, students not only gain a comprehensive knowledge of Arabic language and culture, but also acquire a unique and memorable learning experience amidst the richness of Egyptian culture.

At the end of the program, students are given the opportunity to express the knowledge and skills they gained during their journey from Indonesia to Egypt and while living in Egypt through the creation of an Arabic drama with the theme “Journey from Indonesia to Egypt”. Through this drama, students not only show their official Arabic language skills, but also slip some local languages owned by Egypt when interacting and socializing with native Egyptians.

After this program, students are expected to apply what they have learned in Egypt to student life at UGM. They are encouraged to integrate their experiences into their daily activities, both in the use of Arabic language and in the promotion of Arabic culture in the campus environment. Thus, their learning experience does not only stop in Egypt, but also becomes a strong foundation to develop themselves in the future.