UGM Master of Middle Eastern Cultural Studies Program invited Prof. Dr. Hassan Youssef, Professor from Canal Suez University Egypt in a public lecture “The Development of Arabic Literature: Theory and Application” on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 in Room 709 Soegondo Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM. The public lecture was attended by the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM for Academic and Student Affairs, Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, M.Hum., lecturers of the Study Program, as well as students of the KBTT Master Program and the Arabic Literature Bachelor Program and a number of students from outside UGM.

In his remarks, the Vice Dean of FIB UGM explained two important points. First, the orientation of implementation is no longer to the ‘instrinsic’ of literary works, but must look at it more in relation to the culture of society. Second, the demand for international exposure for all academicians which can be done by involving lecturers from abroad and also providing financing opportunities abroad for students who want to disseminate their research.

The event continued with the presentation of material from Prof. Dr. Hassan Youssef. He explained that Arabic literature continues to develop from the pre-Islamic or Jahiliyah era to the contemporary period. Each era has its own advantages. For example, the excellence in the Jahiliy era was Muallaqat poetry. In the era of the arrival of Islam, his poems began to leave reproaches and insert the language of the Qur’an as a da’wah to spread Islam. The advantages of Arabic literature in contemporary times are the freedom of poetic patterns and the use of language that is easily understood by the public. The development of Arabic literature continues to move dynamically following the times. Therefore, students are encouraged to always actively follow its development and examine it so that they can understand the novelty in the world of Arabic literature.

SDGs 4: Quality Education | SDGs 4: Basic literacy | SDGs 4: Basic literacy skills | SDGs 4: Education for sustainability | SDGs 4: Education | SDGs 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | SDGs 10: Education | SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities | SDGs 12: Efficient use of resources | SDG 16: Peace justice and strong institutions | SDGs 16: Education

The Department of Anthropology at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) organized a public lecture addressing an important societal issue: the gap between knowledge and action. This work skills-related lecture was held on May 8, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM at Soegondo Building 707, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM. The lecture was intended for undergraduate Cultural Anthropology students taking the work skills course but was also open to the public.

The keynote speaker at this event was Dr. Nicholas Goodwin, an expert in behavior change and CEO of Tulodo, a consultancy focused on promoting positive behavior change in society. Dr. Goodwin was accompanied by two work skills course lecturers, Dr. Pande Made Kutanegara, M.Si., and Prof. Dr. Bambang Hudayana, M.A., who provided additional contributions to the discussion.

In his lecture, Dr. Nicholas Goodwin highlighted a major societal issue: many people know what they should do but are either unable or unwilling to do it. An example provided was knowing the importance of doing good deeds but failing to implement them in daily life. “The gap between knowledge and behavior is often overlooked or considered the same, whereas they have significant differences,” stated Dr. Nicholas Goodwin.

According to Dr. Nicholas Goodwin, the lack of understanding of the difference between knowledge and behavior is the root of the problem. To address this, a better understanding is needed on how knowledge can be transformed into consistent and sustainable actions. Dr. Nicholas Goodwin also introduced the concept of “work skills pockets” developed by Tulodo, aimed at providing practical tools and strategies for individuals to change their behavior.

This public lecture aligns with the spirit of SDG number 4, which aims to provide quality education for all, and SDG number 8, which emphasizes the importance of creating decent work and sustainable economic growth. By enhancing the understanding of the difference between knowledge and behavior, and by developing comprehensive work skills pockets, it is hoped to contribute positively to achieving these SDG goals.

This work skills public lecture is expected to provide new insights for UGM Anthropology Department students on the importance of transforming knowledge into concrete actions in daily life. It is hoped that the knowledge gained from this lecture can be implemented by students in their roles in society to create positive and sustainable change.

Author: Afif Naufal Widiadi

The new British Ambassador to Indonesia, Dominic Jermey made his first official visit to Yogyakarta on 17 November 2023. On this occasion, he delivered a public lecture at the Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Gadjah Mada on UK-Indonesia bilateral relations in the fields of education, politics, climate change, digitalisation, arts and culture.

The event began with a warm welcome delivered by the Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation, and Alumni, Dr. Mimi Savitri, M.A. In her opening speech, Dr. Mimi Savitri sincerely expressed her appreciation for the high level of bilateral cooperation that has existed between the UK and Indonesia over the years. She emphasised the importance of this relationship as a foundation for further cooperation in academic and social fields.

The next segment was Dominic Jermey’s ambassadorial speech. In his speech, he stated that he had high hopes for the students present in the room to become the successors of the country’s development relay. He highlighted some crucial issues that are being faced by all countries in the world, namely climate change. According to him, the issue of climate change must be brought up and discussed further because the earth that is inhabited today will one day be inherited by younger generations. Students – he continued – can guard this problem according to their portion.

In the last half of his speech, Dominic Jermey warmly welcomed students who had the intention to continue their studies in the UK. He expressed his appreciation for the dedication of the prospective students. Dominic also encouraged the students and gave them the full support of the UK government to ensure the success of their academic journey in the country. In addition, he emphasised the importance of cooperation between countries in supporting knowledge exchange and global human resource development.

The public lecture session was closed with a Q&A session, where participants were given the opportunity to ask questions directly to Dominic Jermey. This session created an interactive atmosphere that allowed for an exchange of ideas and views between the speaker and the audience. Afterwards, the event was closed with a group selfie session.

The Department of History, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM is holding another Public Lecture entitled “Soewarsih Djojopuspito: The Life of a Colonial Female Nationalist in Independent Indonesia” on Friday, 10 November 2023. The event took place in the Multimedia Room on the 2nd floor of Margono Building. This Public Lecture focuses on discussing the life journey of a female nationalist during Indonesian independence. Hans Visser, an independent researcher from Alkmaar, was the main speaker in this event, while Dr. Agus Suwignyo, a lecturer from the Department of History, acted as the moderator.

On this occasion, the discussion thoroughly covered the contribution of Soewarsih Djojopuspito, a female writer and literary figure best known for her work entitled “Free Man” or “Buiten Het Gareel”. This work is recognised as an important part of Indonesian literary history. Not only that, in 2013, Soewarsih Djojopuspito was awarded the honour of Bintang Budaya Parama Dharma in recognition of her dedication to literature.

This Public Lecture provides a space to explore Soewarsih Djojopuspito in greater detail, exploring significant aspects of her life and contributions in the context of Indonesian history. The event is not only a platform to recognise an inspirational nationalist figure, but also an opportunity to reflect on the struggles undertaken by a determined woman like Djojopuspito..

UGM Department of History successfully organised a seminar entitled “From Sartono Kartodirdjo, Soedjatmoko, and Moh. Ali Towards Future Indonesian History Writing (I)” on 31 October 2023 at the Auditorium of Soegondo Building 7th Floor. The event was attended by around 100 participants from researchers, students, and the general public.

The seminar aimed to explore the future of Indonesian history writing by exploring the thoughts of figures such as Sartono Kartodirdjo, Soedjatmoko, and Moh. Ali. Three keynote speakers, Gani Achmad Jailani from Universitas Padjadjaran, Priska Marsila from Alumni UIN Sunan Gunung Jati, and Wahyu Purwiyastuti from Satya Wacana Christian University, presented materials covering various aspects of Indonesian historiography.

In addition to the keynote speakers, the seminar also involved 17 co-speakers who were selected through a call for papers selection. The participants were divided into six panels according to the predetermined theme groups. The hope is that this seminar can provide inspiration for the development of Indonesian history writing in the future.

A joint discussion session moderated by Prof Bambang Purwanto concluded the seminar. In closing, Prof Bambang asked interesting questions about the need to discuss the philosophy of history and whether the Indonesian-centric approach is relevant. He also emphasised that this seminar was the beginning of a deeper discussion on the philosophical aspects of history writing.