Bantul — The PKM-PM Litera-Wayang team held a Wayang Kulit (puppet) performance arts and exhibition at SMKN 1 Kasihan, Bantul, marking the culmination of their community service initiative. The event showcased the students’ creative adaptation of ancient texts and provided a platform for puppetry arts students to demonstrate their talents following the program’s completion.

The showcase featured four young puppeteers from the school’s Puppetry Department performing two main plays: Bima Kutu Walang Taga and Gathotkaca Siyung. Both scripts were creatively adapted by the students from the ancient manuscript Pakem Grĕntĕng during the program.

Twelfth and eleventh-grade puppetry students supported the production as musical accompanists and stage crew. Attendees included the principal of SMKN 1 Kasihan, the head of the Puppetry Department, school members, representatives from the Bantul Regency Cultural Office, and dozens of students. School officials welcomed the initiative, noting that integrating ancient manuscript adaptation into arts education is a first for the institution.

In addition to the performance, a documentation and literacy exhibition was set up outside the indoor arena. The display highlighted the students’ creative journey through visual records and photos, covering script analysis, puppet making, and stage rehearsals. Interactive QR codes were also available, allowing visitors to explore the manuscript adaptation process.

This event marks a successful collaboration between the PKM-PM Litera-Wayang team and the school. Through this program’s outcomes, the team hopes the manuscript adaptation method will be integrated into the vocational curriculum to support cultural preservation and foster creativity among the youth.

Author: Najwa Aulya Aliff Na’im

Yogyakarta — Representing the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM), PKM-PM Litera-Wayang team has secured funding for the 2026 Student Creativity Program. The grant was officially announced by the Directorate of Learning and Student Affairs (Belmawa) on May 23, 2026.

The project, titled “PKM-PM Litera-Wayang: Peningkatan Kreativitas Siswa Pedalangan Melalui Transformasi Literasi Manuskrip Kuno Pakem Grĕntĕng di SMK Negeri 1 Kasihan”, focuses on boosting creative skills among vocational students through media adaptation. It aims to revitalize Pakĕm Grĕntĕng, an ancient puppetry (pedalangan) manuscript native to Kulon Progo that is rich in local wisdom but currently facing extinction.

To achieve these goals, the Litera-Wayang team launched a series of structured activities for puppetry arts majors at SMKN 1 Kasihan. Program phases include workshops on ancient manuscript adaptation, script-dissection discussions, leather puppet crafting training, and a culminating student-led shadow puppet performance. To ensure effectiveness, quality assurance is maintained through regular evaluations and progress tracking to monitor student skill development.

Beyond field activities, the team developed a comprehensive guidebook to ensure project sustainability. This module enables the school to independently continue transmitting knowledge of Pakem Grenteng and can be integrated into the school’s curriculum as complementary learning material.

Securing this grant marks a strategic milestone for UGM students to deliver a tangible impact to the community. By leveraging manuscript literacy transformation, this initiative boosts youth creativity while preserving local cultural heritage to keep it relevant in the modern era.

Author: Tim PKM-PM Litera-Wayang

Depok, August 28, 2026 — Achmad Rio Dessiar, Ph.D., Head of the Korean Language and Culture Study Program at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM), served as a guest speaker at the Academic Seminar titled “20 Years of Korean Studies in Indonesia: Reflection and Future Collaboration.” The event was organized by the Korean Language and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Indonesia (FIB UI).

Held on Friday, August 28, 2026, at the Toeti Heraty N. Roosseno Auditorium, FIB UI, the seminar was part of the 20th-anniversary celebration of the Korean Language and Culture Study Program at FIB UI. The event provided an academic platform to reflect on the development of Korean Studies in Indonesia over the past two decades and to discuss future opportunities for development and collaboration.

During the event, Achmad Rio Dessiar delivered a presentation titled “The Development of Translation Technology: Utilizing AI Technology.” His presentation explored the evolution of translation technology and the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in modern language translation processes.

In his remarks, he explained how translation technology has continuously evolved, progressing from rule-based translation systems to AI-driven translation technology. The advent of Neural Machine Translation (NMT) and the advancement of Large Language Models (LLM) have significantly transformed how translation is conducted, improving both the quality of the output and the efficiency of the process.

These advancements hold significant implications for foreign language education, including Korean language education in Indonesia. Today’s students must not only possess strong linguistic and translation competencies but also understand how to utilize AI technology critically, accurately, and responsibly. AI technology should not be viewed merely as a replacement for human translators, but rather as a tool that can enhance productivity while opening new avenues for developing translation skills.

Through this presentation, participants were encouraged to recognize that the future development of Korean Studies in Indonesia must also adapt to technological changes. Integrating AI technology into education, translation, and research represents a potential area for development through collaboration among institutions offering Korean Studies in Indonesia.

The participation of the Head of the Korean Language and Culture Program at FIB UGM in this event is also part of an ongoing effort to strengthen academic networks between UGM, UI, and various institutions developing Korean Studies across Indonesia. It is hoped that the 20th-anniversary milestone of the Korean Language and Culture Study Program at FIB UI will further strengthen collaborative education and research in Korean Studies, particularly in responding to the future developments of technology and artificial intelligence.

Author: Achmad Rio Dessiar

Yogyakarta, August 19th 2026 – On that day, students of Daito Bunka University, Japan, attend INCULS intensive program’s closing ceremony, which was held at Gedung Soegondo, Fakultas Ilmu Budaya (FIB), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM).

Closing ceremony marks as the conclusion of Daito Bunka 2 weeks Indonesian language and culture learning journey here in Yogyakarta. Through INCULS, learning Indonesian is never limited to the confines of classroom walls, they have the chance to discover the people, language, culture, and also the daily lives of Indonesians on a firsthand basis.

In this ceremony, students as well as teachers look back on the various experiences they had gotten in this short time. With a warm atmosphere and everyone in harmony, enjoying the last seconds before they inevitably part ways. It ends with everyone saying their thanks to all the people helpful throughout their stay in UGM, those include the teachers, tutors, and INCULS team.

For the Daito Bunka University students, this program will be an invaluable experience to further improve their Indonesian language capabilities as well as understanding the Indonesian culture. Firsthand interactions with the locals also gives an insight in not just the language aspects of things, moreover the characteristic and culture of Indonesian people.

We hope UGM’s INCULS continue to be a space for everyone from around the world to explore the language and culture of Indonesia. We hope the academic relations and cultural exchange between both countries will blossom through activities like this. The end of a program is not the end of the student’s learning journey. With hopes that the experience and memories gained at Yogyakarta could become of help to the students of Daito Bunka University in their continuous journey of learning Indonesian language, also serving as a bridge to strengthen the relationship between Indonesia and Japan.

Author: Suryono (Lin Fan Yu)

The Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) welcomed an educational visit from SMA Negeri 2 Karanganyar on Tuesday (1/9/2026). Held at the Poerbatjaraka Auditorium from 09:00 to 10:00 WIB, the event was attended by approximately 250 12th-grade students who enthusiastically got to know the campus environment up close.

The session opened with a presentation by FIB UGM Public Relations representative, Swety. She provided an overview of UGM as well as the various study programs available at FIB UGM. To add to the excitement, the presentation included an interactive quiz, with top-scoring participants receiving attractive souvenirs.

The Q&A session turned out to be the most interactive moment. Several students asked insightful questions, ranging from how to become a tutor in the Indonesian Language and Culture Learning Service (INCULS) program to scholarship pathways at UGM.

Responding to these inquiries, FIB UGM Public Relations representative, Yazid, explained that UGM provides various forms of financial aid. Scholarship opportunities stem not only from within the university but also from government and private partner institutions.

This visit is expected to broaden the horizons of SMA Negeri 2 Karanganyar students regarding university life while motivating them to seize various academic opportunities at Universitas Gadjah Mada.

[Author: Humas FIB, Zaidan Abdurrahman]