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.

On Monday, March 4, 2024, at 09.30 WITA, Dr. Arsanti Wulandari, S.S., M.Hum, a lecturer from the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program, became a speaker in a public lecture entitled ‘Philology in Javanese Manuscript Studies’. This activity was organized through the Zoom platform by the Old Javanese Literature Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Udayana University (FIB UNUD).

In the public lecture, Dr. Arsanti Wulandari presented an introduction to philology, reviewed the concept of philology, the object of study, the tasks of philologists, and the final product produced. The presentation was equipped with examples of Javanese manuscripts and their identification, so that the audience could understand about philology more easily. The discussion session that followed provided space for participants to ask various questions, showing their high enthusiasm for the topics discussed.

This public lecture on philology was held in response to the diminishing interest of students in the field of philological studies. However, the government is currently seriously encouraging the excavation of knowledge and values contained in ancient manuscripts. Hopefully, through this kind of activity, interest and understanding of philology can grow again among students.

The importance of understanding and maintaining the sustainability of knowledge and cultural values contained in ancient manuscripts is the focus of this public lecture. By providing knowledge, enthusiasm, and establishing good cooperation, it is hoped that the knowledge and cultural values in ancient manuscripts can be preserved and can then be developed according to the needs of the times.

The Master of Archaeology Study Program is one of the study programs managed by the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada. This study program is accredited A (very good) by the National Accreditation Board for Higher Education (BAN-PT) for the period 2021-2026. The Master of Archaeology Study Program currently opens three types of programs offered for undergraduate graduates from various fields of science. These programs include Program by Course (Regular), Program by Research, and Double Degree Program.

Participants of Program by Course (Regular) and Program by Research can choose one of three main interests, namely Archaeology, Museology or Cultural Heritage Management, while the Double Degree Program is specifically offered for Heritage Studies enthusiasts. The courses offered, both compulsory and elective, are taught by lecturers who are experts in their fields, and can be taken by participants of all three programs. The scholarships that can be taken by Master of Archaeology students of FIB UGM include LPDP Scholarships (General, Affirmation, Targeted, Double Degree), Higher Education Lecturer Scholarships, Cultural Performer Scholarships, and Private Scholarships (YAD or others).

More information about the Master of Archaeology program and how to apply, can be obtained at the following link: Master of Archaeology Major Leaflet