n commemoration of the 74th Anniversary of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), UGM held various events and activities. One of the events was a wayang kulit performance titled “Banjaran Dwijawara”. The performance was a cross-style collaboration, combining the Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Banyumasan, and East Javanese styles in one wayang performance. The event was held on Saturday (16/12/2023) at Grha Sabha Pramana.

The story “Banjaran Dwijawara” is a compilation of the biographies of Rama Bargawa, Resi Dorna, and Arjuna. These three characters are faced with various complex problems. Rama Bargawa faces the oligarchs who act arbitrarily, Resi Dorna faces the issue of inclusivity, while Arjuna is in an era of gender equality.

In the implementation, students from the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program participated in enlivening and making the wayang performance a success. Their participation was manifested in their roles as the crew, the performers as musicians and singers who are members of the Keluarga Kesenian Mahasiswa Universitas Gadjah Mada, and Muhammad Siswoyo, a 2022 student, who became the dalang (puppeteer) of the East Javanese wayang kulit performance.

The story “Banjaran Dwijawara” is not only a form of entertainment, but also a means of learning through moral messages about how to behave and make decisions when facing a problem. In addition, this wayang kulit performance also serves as a medium to introduce and preserve wayang kulit art and its various styles, which are a form of cultural wealth in Indonesia. The introduction and preservation of Indonesian culture through this wayang performance is in line with point four of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely Quality Education.

SDGS 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth  | SDGS 17: Partnership for the Goals

Yogyakarta, January 30, 2024 – Abdurrahman Al Kholili, a student of Arabic Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has successfully completed an internship at the Regional Board of the Indonesian Export Companies Association (DPD Gabungan Perusahaan Ekspor Indonesia – GPEI) DIY. During the 3-month internship, Kholili actively participated in various projects, including Indonesia’s largest trade exhibition, Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) 2023, which took place from October 18 to 22, 2023.

GPEI DIY was one of the participants in the exhibition held in Hall 3 (F&B Product), Booth 24B, showcasing a variety of flagship products from local entrepreneurs, such as spices, gudeg (a traditional Javanese dish), coconut shell charcoal briquettes, palm sugar, and herbal drinks. Leveraging his proficient Arabic language skills, Kholili was assigned to attract buyers from Arab countries.

Kholili’s proficiency in the Arabic language proved effective in enhancing communication, engagement, and customer satisfaction. This increased the chances of closing deals with buyers. Thus, foreign language proficiency, especially in Arabic, has proven to create opportunities and make a tangible contribution to the nation’s economic progress.

Nine students from the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) have successfully implemented a teaching program for students at SMA Negeri 1 Seyegan. This teaching program is a collaboration with the principal of SMA Negeri 1 Seyegan, as a joint effort to preserve Javanese culture, particularly the use of Javanese script. The program was held from December 12 to 21, 2023, and concluded with a competition on December 22, 2023.

Nine students from the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program participated in this program. They are Sindi Virninda, Nanda Nursa Alya, Rafael Raga B.P., Faradila Putri M., Ahmad Nur Astha, Enjang Prasetyo W., Fazi Arifian Pradara, Novita Nurhasanah, and Inayah Milati. The teaching was conducted using creative methods, with the hope that students could understand Javanese script comprehensively.

Nanda Nursa Alya, one of the teaching participants, expressed her joy in an interview, “It was very exciting because we were able to interact with the students.” Nanda explained that this program not only benefits students but also develops their skills of students, “This program trains us as students to be able to become teachers as well as friends for the students. In addition, this program also demands the creativity of students in creating good and enjoyable learning methods and media for students.”

With the implementation of this teaching program, Nanda hopes that the activity can be carried out every year. “I hope this program will always be there every year,” she said. This teaching program is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, especially the fourth point, Quality Education, which aims to improve the quality of education.

Once again, a brilliant achievement was achieved by students of the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) who are members of Paramadaya (Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM Choir). Yudha Adistira (Batch 2022) and Abimanyu Mahendra Maladeta Darmadi (class of 2023), successfully won first place and the rotating trophy in the choir competition entitled “Christmas Choir Festival.” The competition was held at Galleria Mall Yogyakarta on Sunday (December 17, 2023).

Yudha, Abimanyu, and their Paramadaya colleagues performed the songs “Grown up Christmas List” and “Lihatlah Lebih Dekat.” The choir performance they presented invited the admiration of the audience and the jury. For this reason, Paramadaya was able to win first place and the rotating trophy.

In an interview with Yudha Adistira, he shared his experience, “At first we did not expect to be able to win the championship. Our competitors were from other universities that included the scale of the University Student Choir (PSM), while we were from the Faculty PSM. In addition, many participants were more senior and more experienced than us. Alhamdulillah, we were able to overcome these challenges and win. Hopefully, in the future, we can win first place again so that the rotating trophy can be obtained again.”

This success is proof that the Students of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at UGM can develop their potential in non-academic fields through Semi-Autonomous Bodies (BSO) such as Paramadaya Choir. The development of potential, both academic and non-academic, within the scope, of the study program, faculty, and university scope is in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4, Quality Education, especially in improving the quality of education for the community.

Through an online meeting on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, the UGM French Language and Literature study program held a briefing for third-year students, namely 2021 students who will take part in the MBKM (Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka) program. This briefing is related to preparing activities that can be followed as a substitute for even semester lectures in the 2023/2024 academic year. This is done to achieve the goals of the curriculum under the two themes of SDG 4, Quality Education, and SDG 17 Partnerships to Achieve Goals.

In this online meeting, students are given information regarding what internal or external activities can be chosen and then can be converted as a value for this even semester lecture. The MBKM activities offered by the study program include internship programs and independent projects in collaboration with several study program partners, faculties, and universities with a cooperation agreement.  Internship activities that students can carry out include ARTraduction translation agency, Institut Français d’Indonésie and Alliance Française throughout Indonesia, publishing agencies such as Mojok Publisher, as well as museums in Yogyakarta and Central Java such as Ullen Sentalu Museum, Radya Pustaka Solo Museum, Kraton Yogyakarta Museum, Tumurun Solo Museum, etc. For independent projects, there are film translation projects in collaboration with IFI Yogyakarta and film centers in France, and French language learning assistance projects in schools in Yogyakarta and surrounding areas.

In addition to programs initiated by the study program, students can also carry out MBKM activities funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture in the form of the Diktiristek Flagship program. Several students have been accepted into the program, including the program Kampus Mengajar at SMKS Piri Sleman as teacher partners, social media editorial internships at Kompas Gramedia Jakarta, internships in statistical cooperation positions at the Directorate General of Higher Education Jakarta, internships in the retail merchandising division at PT AEON Indonesia, independent study activities including mentoring and studying the establishment of digital start-ups with the Ministry of Communication and Information’s 100 Digital Startup Movement, and internships for French translation assistants at the DPR RI Secretariat General.