An undergraduate student of the Indonesian Language and Literature Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, M Deni Maulana, has won the prestigious Daesang (대상) award at the Global Inbound Start-Up Idea Competition held in South Korea. The accolade was awarded for his innovative, contextual, and practical educational start-up concept designed to address the needs of international students.

The global competition brought together 45 participants from 20 universities across various countries. It was organized by Jeonbuk National University, Jeonbuk State, and the Global Innovation Start-Up Center (GISC). The event series took place from November 13 to December 3, 2025, and was held onsite at The May Hotel Jeonju, Jeonbuk State, South Korea. The competition stages included idea submission, concept presentation, mentoring sessions, and final evaluation by a panel of professional judges.

At the international forum, Deni represented Indonesia with a conceptually strong and strategically competitive proposal. He earned the Daesang award for his start-up idea, LinguaLoka, which addresses cross-cultural communication challenges, particularly the gap in understanding dialects and everyday speech varieties that are often overlooked in formal language learning.

Drawing on his academic background in Indonesian Language and Literature and his interest in the Indonesian for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) program, Deni developed LinguaLoka as a local dialect-based language learning application. His experience as an exchange student in South Korea and as an Indonesian language tutor for Korean students significantly shaped the idea. Through direct interaction, he observed that foreign language learners frequently struggle to understand language in everyday conversational contexts, while mastery of dialects often becomes the key to effective social communication.

“Language learning cannot rely solely on formal structures. Dialects and everyday speech contexts play a crucial role in building meaningful communication,” said Deni Maulana.

Conceptually, LinguaLoka features several key components, including real-life conversation simulations, a peer-to-peer language exchange feature, and an educational dialect-guessing game. The application is designed to facilitate Indonesian and Korean students in learning formal language while also becoming familiar with regional dialects used in daily life in both countries.

The panel of judges assessed LinguaLoka as having strong educational value, global development potential, and sustainability as a culture-based educational start-up. Deni’s background as a humanities student was considered a conceptual advantage, as he was able to integrate linguistic studies, BIPA teaching experience, and the practical needs of international students.

This achievement underscores the strategic role of language and literature students in generating cross-disciplinary innovations relevant to global challenges. Through culture-based educational approaches, such innovations are expected to strengthen cross-cultural understanding and foster the development of inclusive and sustainable learning ecosystems at the international level.

Source: M. Deni Maulana
[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]

Another international achievement has been secured by a student of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences. M Deni Maulana, a student of the Indonesian Language and Literature Study Program, won First Place at the Korean Culture International Poetry Contest Jeonbuk 3 held in Jeonju, South Korea, on November 28–29, 2025.

The international Korean poetry recitation competition brought together 48 participants from 16 countries, representing diverse academic and cultural backgrounds. The event was organized by the Jeonbuk Foreign Language Support Volunteer Association in collaboration with the Jeonju Jeonbuk City Government and the Department of Culture and Tourism. It aimed to introduce Korean literature to a global audience while strengthening cultural exchange through poetry.

Deni Maulana’s achievement is particularly noteworthy as it was accomplished while he was participating in a Student Exchange Double Major program at Jeonbuk National University under the Global Korean Scholarship Outstanding Student scheme. In the competition, Deni performed the Korean poem 빈방 (Empty Room) by Kim Jae-jin, a reflective work that demands emotional sensitivity and strong proficiency in the Korean language.

The competition consisted of rigorous selection and evaluation stages conducted by a panel of professional judges. Assessment criteria included accuracy of Korean pronunciation, mastery of intonation, expressive delivery, and depth of understanding of the poem’s meaning. Through an expressive yet controlled performance, Deni was considered successful in conveying the poem’s message to a cross-cultural audience.

Based on the judges’ final evaluation, First Place was awarded to M Deni Maulana from Indonesia. Second Place went to Sanya Koirala from Nepal, while Third Place was earned by Kato Minenhle from South Africa. The organizers stated that the finalists’ performances reflected a strong appreciation among the younger international generation for Korean literature.

This accomplishment represents not only a personal milestone for Deni but also highlights the active role of Indonesian students in fostering cultural dialogue at the global level. Through literature as a medium of expression, student participation in international forums such as this reinforces the values of mutual understanding, diversity, and international cooperation, which are essential to building an inclusive and sustainable future.

Source: M. Deni Maulana
[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]

Yogyakarta, 13 May 2025 — The Indonesian Language and Literature Programme at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM), welcomed a visit on Tuesday, 13 May 2025, from 15 students and two faculty members from Warren Wilson College, North Carolina, United States. This student meeting was held as part of the Indonesian Friends Program (TESIA – Teman Indonesia). The programme was initiated in 2021 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic as an adaptation to cross-cultural learning through online platforms. This gathering marked a special moment within the collaborative efforts of the Indonesian Friends Program.

The meeting was attended by the Head and Secretary of the Indonesian Language and Literature Programme, Dr. Pujiharto, M.Hum., and Dr. Novi Siti Kussuji Indrastuti, M.Hum., who personally welcomed the Warren Wilson College delegation. Representing the guests were Prof. Kevin Kehrberg and Prof. Siti Kusujiarti, M.A., Ph.D., who served as faculty supervisors and key figures in fostering this inter-institutional partnership. The event brought together 15 students from Warren Wilson College and 30 students from the Indonesian Language and Literature Programme at FIB UGM for active and meaningful interaction.

The event opened with a classical Yogyakarta-style dance performance entitled “Sesanti Mangayu-Hayu”, performed by FIB UGM students. In her welcome speech, Dr. Novi Siti Kussuji Indrastuti, Coordinator of the Indonesian Friends Program, remarked that the gathering was a particularly meaningful moment, as it allowed both parties to finally meet face-to-face after months of online interaction. “Our students have been teaching the basics of the Indonesian language and culture to students at Warren Wilson College, and through that process, a very meaningful cross-cultural communication has emerged,” she noted.

In addition to the welcome ceremony and introductions, students from both universities participated in discussion sessions and shared experiences related to cross-cultural learning. During their stay in Indonesia, the Warren Wilson students are scheduled to visit several historical and cultural sites in Yogyakarta, including the Yogyakarta Palace (Keraton), Taman Sari, Malioboro, Prambanan Temple, and Borobudur Temple.

Throughout their time in Yogyakarta, the Warren Wilson students are staying in the Bulaksumur area, near the Universitas Gadjah Mada campus. UGM students have been assigned to accompany and support them during their visit to Indonesia. Through this programme, UGM reaffirms its commitment to international collaboration based on cultural exchange and the strengthening of educational diplomacy.

[Dr. Novi Siti Kussuji Indrastuti, M.Hum.]

Yogyakarta, November 14, 2024 – Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) enthusiastically welcomed the working visit of Department of Indonesian Literature, Faculty of Arts, Universitas Hasanuddin (Unhas) on November 12-13, 2024. This visit is part of the efforts to implement the cooperation between the two faculties, which covers the fields of education, research, and community service.

This activity is an important momentum for FIB UGM to strengthen synergies and explore new collaboration opportunities with Unhas. The main discussion focused on the development of the BIPA (Indonesian Language for Foreign Speakers) curriculum and the formulation of joint program implementation strategies that are expected to improve the quality of teaching and student learning experiences.

The team from Unhas who attended this working visit was led by Dr. Munira Hasjim, S.S., M.Hum, Head of the Indonesian Literature Department, accompanied by Prof. Dr. Nurhayati, M.Hum, and Dr. Inriati Lewa, M.Hum. Their presence was warmly welcomed by the lecturers and academic staff of FIB UGM, as well as representatives of the Indonesian Language and Literature Study Program.

The Dean of the Faculty said that this visit was a form of the Faculty’s commitment to continue to open itself to innovative and mutually beneficial cooperation. “We really appreciate the arrival of the team from Unhas. This is a real step to implement programs that can support the achievement of the main performance indicators of the faculty, as well as strengthen collaboration between faculties,” he said.

In addition to discussions on BIPA, this visit was also a forum to exchange views related to challenges and opportunities in the development of education and research in the field of language and literature. With this meeting, FIB UGM is optimistic that it can build a more solid collaboration with FIB Unhas, which in turn will enrich academic experience and expand networks in the field of Indonesian language and literature studies.

Festival Bulan Bahasa is one of the five main series of Bulan Bahasa UGM 2024. The contents of the Festival Bulan Bahasa itself include a “behind-the-scenes of Bulan Bahasa  We Tell Stories” exhibition, an interactive “Discover Me” exhibition, an exhibition of the 2023 winners’ works, then Suar Memoar to write down all hopes for visitors who come. In addition to the exhibition, there is also a reading corner and visitors can make scrapbooks or zine creations for free here. The highlight of the Festival this time is the performances, such as modern dance, poetry musicalization, and also bands from various circles.

In addition, Bulan Bahasa also still opens competitions for students, college students, and the public, including short story creation, poetry creation, poetry reading, and essays. After this, there will be a workshop with one of the writers whose book has been made into a movie, and the culmination of the Bulan Bahasa event is the performance of Teater Kami Bercerita which presents Seno Adi Gumira’s work with the title “Dilarang Beranyi di Kamar Mandi” on November 29, 2024, at Taman Budaya Yogyakarta. For more information, check out the Bulan Bahasa Instagram (@bulanbahasaugm)