Yogyakarta, November 14, 2025 — The Arabic Study Program Student Association (IKMASA) at Universitas Gadjah Mada conducted a Government Tour as part of the 2025 External Relations Department’s flagship program. The visit, held from 13:30 to 15:00 WIB, involved 40 students from the 2023, 2024, and 2025 cohorts. The delegation was warmly welcomed by the Language Center of Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (BBY), reflecting the institution’s appreciation for student-led educational initiatives.

The event opened with remarks from Candra Solihin, the 2025 President of IKMASA, who emphasized the importance of institutional visits in broadening academic insight and fostering early professional networking. The agenda continued under the guidance of the master of ceremonies, Rusydatu Nibras Salamah, ensuring the program ran smoothly and in order. The atmosphere grew more engaging when participants were invited to enjoy refreshments prepared by BBY.

During the main session, Mulyanto, M.Hum., Senior Expert Linguist at the institution, delivered an informative presentation outlining the history of the Language Center, its institutional roles, and various strategic programs carried out to support language development and literacy initiatives across the Yogyakarta region. He also highlighted internship opportunities available for students interested in pursuing linguistic research and institutional language work.

Throughout the visit, students demonstrated strong enthusiasm, actively engaging in discussions about language programs, research opportunities, and potential pathways for student involvement in BBY’s activities. This Government Tour is expected to serve as a meaningful platform for UGM Arabic Study Program students to expand their professional network, gain firsthand exposure to applied language work, and explore future collaborative possibilities with the Language Center.

Author: Aisyah Mutmainnah

Yogyakarta, October 28, 2025 – The Arabic Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), once again celebrates a proud achievement through one of its students, Sultan Amirul Muttaqin, who successfully earned three prestigious awards in both national and regional rounds of the Musabaqah Syarhil Qur’an (MSQ) competition. Sultan’s outstanding ability to interpret and eloquently convey the messages of the Qur’an earned him recognition for his clarity, expressiveness, and emotional depth.

Sultan’s first major accomplishment came at the National MSQ Competition organized by the Qur’anic Studies Program of UIN Walisongo Semarang, where he and his team achieved 2nd Place Nationally. The UGM team delivered a powerful collaboration between the qāriʾ (reciter), the translator, and the syāriḥ (commentator), impressing the judges with their harmonious performance, strong arguments, and deep spiritual expression.

His second achievement followed at the Festival Santri Multitalent 2025, hosted by the Khaulabenazir National Community of Female Students, where Sultan once again secured 2nd Place Nationally in the Musabaqah Syarhil Qur’an category. Serving as the translator, he showcased exceptional linguistic precision and rhetorical beauty in rendering the meaning of the Qur’anic verses.

Not stopping there, Sultan also triumphed at the regional level, earning 2nd Place in the Yogyakarta and Central Java MSQ Competition, organized by the Al-Qur’an Education Institute (LPQ) Masjid As-Syuhada Yogyakarta. The event brought together participants from educational institutions, universities, and Islamic boarding schools committed to promoting Qur’anic-based da’wah.

In his reflections, Sultan emphasized that the role of the translator in the Musabaqah Syarhil Qur’an is not merely about linguistic conversion, but about reviving the soul and message of the verses so that audiences can truly feel their meaning. “Alhamdulillah, every competition is a valuable experience to deliver da’wah in a scholarly and beautiful way. This proves that students can be meaningful bridges of da’wah through intellect and language,” he shared.

These achievements not only bring honor to the UGM Arabic Study Program but also embody the spirit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). The Study Program hopes Sultan’s accomplishments will inspire other students to continue striving for excellence, spreading the values of Islam through language, and contributing to Islamic scholarship both nationally and internationally.

Author: Sultan Amirul Muttaqin

Yogyakarta, October 20, 2025 – The Arabic Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, continued its eighth session of the Entrepreneurship course with lecturer Diyah Wikan Rakhmatika, S.S., M.A.. This session carried the theme “Business Funding Opportunities”, focusing on strategies to acquire, manage, and utilize financial resources effectively and ethically to support business sustainability.

In her presentation, Diyah explained that funding is a fundamental aspect of business continuity and growth. She emphasized that a successful entrepreneur is not only one who can generate creative ideas but also one who can manage finances wisely and determine the right funding strategy. Students were introduced to two main sources of business capital — internal funding (personal savings, reinvested profits, and support from family or friends) and external funding (banks, investors, venture capital, crowdfunding, Islamic financing, and government grants).

Furthermore, Diyah highlighted the importance of preparing a compelling and credible business proposal as a key to attracting investors. A well-crafted proposal, she noted, should clearly present the business vision, market potential, financial projections, and realistic return plans. She also underscored the principles of transparency, accountability, and Islamic ethics in financial management to ensure that businesses operate honestly, fairly, and sustainably.

The session also explored real-world funding practices in Indonesia, such as the government’s Kredit Usaha Rakyat (KUR) program, venture capital schemes from institutions like East Ventures and Mandiri Capital Indonesia, as well as donation- and investment-based crowdfunding models. Through case studies, students were encouraged to identify opportunities and challenges in funding initiatives relevant to literature- and language-based entrepreneurship, including independent publishing, digital literacy content creation, and language learning platforms.

This session provided valuable insights for Arabic Study Program students to develop businesses that are not only intellectually creative but also financially robust. By understanding sustainable business funding strategies, students are expected to design independent, ethical, and impact-driven entrepreneurial models.

The course also supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) through practical entrepreneurship education, SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by fostering competitive young entrepreneurs, and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by promoting innovation and sustainable resource management.

[Arabic Literature, Muhammad Ardiansyah]

Yogyakarta, 4 October 2025 – The Arabic Student Association (IKMASA) of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) warmly welcomed the Arabic Literature Student Association (HIMASA) from Universitas Padjadjaran (UNPAD) during their comparative study visit to the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM. The event aimed to strengthen academic and organizational ties while fostering collaboration and friendship between student associations.

The SANJUNG program was attended by all representatives of IKMASA UGM’s 2025/2026 management board from each department, accompanied by IKMASA Chairperson Candra Solihin. Meanwhile, the HIMASA UNPAD delegation, consisting of around 60 members, was led by HIMASA Chairperson Moch Cahya Kurnia.

The event began with welcoming remarks from both organization leaders, followed by presentations of work programs from each department and division. The participants then engaged in focused discussion sessions organized into small groups, each consisting of one to two departments, allowing for deeper exchanges of ideas and experiences. The program concluded with a documentation session held in Room 709 of the Soegondo Building.

This visit served not only as a platform for sharing organizational best practices but also as a meaningful step toward building lasting partnerships and academic collaboration among Arabic student associations across Indonesia.

Author: Department of External Relations of IKMASA

Who says Arabic Literature students only deal with texts and Middle Eastern culture? Faris Zaky, an active student from the Arabic Literature program at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), proves otherwise. He has successfully demonstrated that a background in the humanities is not a barrier to making a real contribution in the professional world.

Starting with a desire to fill his semester break with productive activities, Faris discovered an internship opportunity. Upon reading that one of the positions available was in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), he immediately felt intrigued, even though he initially hesitated, thinking his major was not directly related. With the courage to try, he decided to seize the opportunity. This decision turned out to be fruitful. He was accepted and began an internship experience that introduced him to various community dynamics.

Faris’s interest in social issues is not new. Since the beginning of his studies, he has been active in various community activities such as Ikmasa Mengabdi, Gemilang Desa, Ramadhan di Kampus, and being part of the organizing team for PIONIR Gadjah Mada 2024. From these experiences, his sensitivity to social issues and planning skills have grown, which are now essential assets in his role in CSR.

Despite coming from an Arabic Literature background, Faris found that many skills he acquired during his studies are highly useful in the workplace. The writing and communication skills he honed during his studies became his main assets in conveying information to the community in a clear and understandable manner. Additionally, his experience in managing organizational programs equipped him with the ability to accept criticism, respond to problems with solutions, and prepare public communication materials with appealing visuals—such as graphic design and video editing—all of which support CSR work in the field.

During his internship, Faris was involved in various community development programs covering agriculture, livestock, health, tourism, and the economy. One of the programs he is most proud of is the development of the Bina Mandiri Farmer Group in Pulosari Village through the innovation of biodigester technology that produces bio slurry. This product was then developed into Bio Slurry Plus, an original innovation from PLTP Gunung Salak that has not been implemented elsewhere. This program has proven to increase productivity in the agricultural and livestock sectors and is one of the reasons why the CSR program of PLTP Gunung Salak received the Gold award—the highest level in the national CSR program assessment.

In carrying out his role, Faris also faced challenges, especially in changing the habits of the community that were not entirely appropriate, particularly in agriculture and livestock. He and his team chose to educate gradually, consistently, and with a persuasive approach so that the messages of change could be accepted without offending deeply rooted habits. Throughout this process, Faris upheld local values and culture. He believes that the principle of “where the earth is stepped, there the sky is upheld” is key to building community trust, especially when working in an environment rich in cultural values, such as the area around the Halimun Gunung Salak National Park, even though the program’s target area is outside the conservation zone.

This internship experience has transformed Faris’s perspective on the relationship between literature, social issues, and the professional world. He realized that the knowledge he studied, which he initially thought was only relevant in academic or cultural studies, actually has a close connection to practical needs in the field. Literature is not just about texts; it is also about understanding social contexts, building empathy, and effectively conveying ideas—elements that are crucial in community development. For him, the worlds of literature and work do not oppose each other; rather, they support and strengthen one another.

After completing his internship program, Faris is determined to continue engaging in social activities and deepen his knowledge in community development. He also wants to explore the skills he has honed, such as event planning, design, video editing, and writing, which he believes are highly needed in the social work sector. Faris Zaky’s story is a testament that the courage to step forward, consistent interest, and adaptability can lead students from any discipline to make a real impact on society—even within state-owned enterprises.