Yogyakarta, 24/4/2025 — The Tourism Study Programme at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM), welcomed an academic visit from Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan, Johor, Malaysia on Thursday (24/4). The visit marked a valuable opportunity for knowledge exchange and the strengthening of international networks in the fields of tourism and culture.

In a warm and engaging session, both institutions presented their academic activities and flagship programmes. Students and lecturers from both sides shared experiences on curriculum development, industry practices and research, as well as approaches to tourism education.

The event continued with an interactive bonding session. A relaxed atmosphere was created through ice-breaking activities involving all participants, followed by a traditional dance performance by students from Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan, which received enthusiastic applause from the audience.

This visit is expected to be the starting point for further collaboration between the Tourism Study Programme of FIB UGM and Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan, particularly in future capacity-building initiatives.

[Public Relation Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Bulan Churniati]

Yogyakarta, 10/4/2025 – In order to welcome the new system of campus visit implementation, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) held UGM Campus Tour Activity Guiding Training which lasted for two days, namely on Thursday, March 20, 2025 online through Zoom and Friday, March 21, 2025 offline in Multimedia Room 1, UGM Main Office (Balairung). This training was held as part of UGM’s efforts to realize a campus tour system that is more coordinated, informative, and representative of university values.

This activity is an important part of the implementation of UGM’s new policy in organizing campus tours, which were previously decentralized in each faculty and business unit. Now, the implementation is consolidated through a centralized system that involves student representatives from all faculties as guides. Therefore, the students involved are required to have good story telling skills, understand the values of UGM, and have basic visitor management skills, so this training is a crucial step in the process.

Understanding Values and Basic Guiding Techniques

The first day of the training was opened online by the committee, followed by remarks from Mohamad Rachmadian Narotama, ST, M.Sc., Ph.D., lecturer in Tourism Study Program at Faculty of Arts UGM as well as the Head of UGM Campus Tour Task Force Team. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of the guide’s role in the new UGM Campus Tour scheme which is not only as an introduction, but also as an ambassador of information and representation of university values.

The first session presented Runavia Mulyasari, S.Ant., M.A. and Popi Irawan, S.S., M.Sc., Ph.D., both lecturers of Tourism Study Program and members of the UGM Campus Tour Task Force, who provided an in-depth understanding of the interpretation of UGM values in the context of guiding and the basics of guiding.

Meanwhile, Runavia Mulyasari, S.Ant., M.A. explained the importance of attitude, communication skills, and code of ethics that must be owned by campus tour guides. The participants were introduced to the principles of hospitality and professionalism as the key to maintaining UGM’s image in the eyes of visitors.

The next session was filled with a sharing session entitled “The Art of Telling Stories about Daily Activities” presented by Evander Dwi Pramana, S.Par, an alumnus of UGM Tourism Study Program who is now active as a guiding practitioner. In this session, participants were not only invited to hear field experiences, but also to share stories about campus life which could later be developed into story telling material for campus tour visitors.

Deepening SOPs and Guiding Practices

Meanwhile, offline training activities began with remarks from Popi Irawan, who emphasized the importance of this training in ensuring the quality of the campus visitor experience in the future. The first session was filled by Runavia Mulyasari, who explained the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) developed by the Task Force Team for campus tour guiding activities. Not only one-way, this session also encouraged participants to actively discuss to complete the SOP, such as dealing with emergency conditions and the limits of guide intervention.

The second session was a hands-on guiding practice facilitated by Evander. Through a paired method, participants practiced being a guide and a visitor alternately. Open discussions were also held to discuss effective guiding strategies in various situations. This practice also honed the participants’ skills in delivering information in an interesting, relevant and communicative manner.

Synergy for Sustainable Tourism

The active involvement of lecturers, students, and alumni of the UGM Faculty of Arts Tourism Study Program in this activity shows a commitment to sustainable education that is in line with the goals of SDG 4: Quality Education and SDG 17: Partnerships to Achieve Goals. Collaboration across generations and faculties is an important foundation in creating a campus tour ecosystem at UGM that is inclusive, informative, and meaningful.

With this training, it is expected that all students involved as guides can be the best representation of UGM. Not only as a higher education institution, but also as an open, friendly, and inspiring life learning space.

[Public Relations of Tourism, Muhammad Alif]

Klero Hamlet, located in Sumberharjo Village, Prambanan Subdistrict, Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, is a hamlet with high potential in socio-cultural aspects and tourist attractions. However, they encounter a significant environmental challenge; the closing of the Piyungan Landfill as the final disposal site for waste from the Prambanan community. Consequently, unmanaged waste has become an important issue that needs to be solved.

Through a collaboration with various community elements, UGM students and UGM lecturer, Dr. Wulan Tri Astuti developed a waste processing center adopting the zero waste concept, named Puspa Argabima Klero. It was established on August 10, 2022, with the goal of taking the responsibility for consumption and production (SDGs 12 Responsible Consumption and Production). This community is led by Mas Eliyadi, one of the local heroes in Klero Hamlet. Through various training and collaborations, Puspa Argabima Klero has successfully managed waste from 60 households in the village through waste sorting, utilization of organic waste through maggot cultivation, and the sale of organic waste in collaboration with a third party, Rapel.

In the early days of Puspa Argabima Klero, the community faced various challenges. For example, the maggot cultivation cage, which was initially built to cultivate maggot larvae, was hit by rain, causing huge damage such as flood. This led the community to initiate the construction of non-permanent structures using bamboo and tiles. Not only that, the building collapsed due to a heavy storm. However, these challenges did not stop their spirit, as they lent some money to build a 3×6 meters semi-permanent building to continue the maggot cultivation.

Through this program that is supported by BPDLH (Environmental Management Fund Agency), Puspa Argabima Klero expanded the building to 6×6 meters, obtained 6 maggot cultivation racks which are facilitated with dry and wet shredding machines, and acquired an oven to produce the flagship product named Pupuk Kasgot by Puspa Argabima Klero, and dried maggot product named Dr. Magro. Through these facilities, Puspa Argabima Klero successfully generated income through the sale of inorganic waste, fresh maggot products, Pupuk Kasgot, and Dr. Magro products which has allowed them to repay the loans and start to generate income for the 15 members of Puspa Argabima Klero which includes 8 housewives. Puspa Argabima Klero also managed 4-5 tons of waste every month, with 5-9 quintals of organic waste is used as maggot feed.

Puspa Argabima Klero has gained attention from the surrounding villages for successfully being the example of integrated waste management. They turn organic and inorganic waste into products that are valuable for the community. Their achievements were acknowledged by the Prambanan Subdistrict on their first anniversary on August 10, 2023.

Starting from this, Puspa Argabima Klero has evolved to be an educational waste processing tourism destination which utilizes maggot cultivation. With support from BPDLH, UGM students, and alumni, they integrate products such as maggots and Pupuk Kasgot with fisheries, farm, and agriculture through a mini-farm. This mini-farm is constructed to provide feed for hens, fish, and plant fertilizer, while also served as an interactive educational facility for visitors.

Furthermore, through ongoing programs, Puspa Argabima Klero expanded the building and created 18 cubic meters of an education space. This innovation also involved floor casting to facilitate waste sorting activities. Through a collaboration with tourism stakeholders, Puspa Argabima Klero has  successfully attracted more than 650 visitors, including junior high school students and village government staffs in Kendal Regency, who are interested in learning about waste management. This additional income has positive impacts on both the development and sustainability of their program.

Photo 1: Maggot Cultivation Racks

Photo 2: Mini-Farm