The Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), in collaboration with the Université de Montréal (Canada), is organizing the 2026 Off-Campus Summer School program. Under the theme “The New Orientalism: Understanding the Paradoxes of Mass Tourism in Southeast Asia,” this program invites students from various countries to critically examine the challenges and real-world impacts of the mass tourism industry. This event was the fourth installment of the “Political Issues in Southeast Asia” (POL6615) seminar series, attended by 32 selected students—16 from Canada and 16 from Southeast Asia.

Rooted in the framework of critical tourism studies, this Summer School invites students to understand the contradictory processes generated by the enthusiasm for mass tourism. The phenomenon of tourism in Southeast Asia is seen as presenting real ambiguities; on the one hand, it can foster cultural exchange and economic growth, but on the other hand, it contributes to the commodification of culture, the destruction of local ecosystems, and the construction of an imaginary “authenticity” for the sake of market interests. To explore these complexities, this program emphasizes a comprehensive pedagogical approach. Participants not only listen to theoretical presentations by experts at the R. Soegondo Building, Faculty of Humanities, UGM, but are also immersed in the field to conduct participant-observation research in small groups in Yogyakarta, a major destination rich in cultural and ecological heritage. As part of the academic requirements, every student is required to contribute to the course, prepare summaries of required readings, and produce research reports and reflective journals.

The theoretical complexity surrounding this tourism paradox was immediately brought to life on the first day through a keynote lecture delivered by Prof. Devi Roza K. Kausar, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Tourism at Pancasila University. In her lecture titled “The Challenges and Paradoxes of Cultural Tourism in Yogyakarta,” Prof. Devi highlighted the ongoing tension between cultural preservation and the commercial expectations of tourism. He specifically analyzed the case study of the Borobudur Temple World Heritage Site to illustrate the real conflict of interest between the economic development of priority destinations and the conservation of cultural heritage.

The Borobudur case clearly demonstrates that tourism is not merely an ordinary economic activity, but rather a political decision shaped by power dynamics, institutional fragmentation, infrastructure priorities, and competing development visions. Through this analysis of a specific case, students are directly invited to critically reflect on how a cultural element is presented to the public, who actually benefits most from this industry, and how young researchers should position themselves ethically when conducting studies in socially and culturally complex environments.

Through this Off-Campus Summer School program, students are expected to move beyond a black-and-white view of tourism as something that is either “beneficial” or “harmful.” The goal is for them to graduate with a more nuanced understanding, while also developing research methodology, academic presentation, and cross-cultural collaboration skills that are crucial for future researchers.

[Author: Humas FIB, Zaidan Abdurrahman]

SDGs 4: Quality Education | SDGs 14: Life Below Water | SDGs 15: Life on Land | SDGs 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The XXIX National Cultural Gathering was successfully organized by I Gusti Bagus Sugriwa State Hindu University (UHN) which took place on Sunday-Friday, from November 5th until 10th, 2023. The theme of the 2023 National Cultural Gathering was “Sabda Budaya: Mukhti Luwir Nihan Segara”, which means “Cultural Echoes: Thundering like the Ocean”. The theme intends to highlight the richness of Indonesian culture that is still thundering amid the current era of globalization. The activity lasted for five days with various agendas including the National Deliberation, Wimbakara (Competition), and National Seminar. It ended with the Awarding Night as well as the closing of the XXIX National Cultural Gathering activities.

In this XXIX National Cultural Gathering, the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), sent eight delegates to participate in the entire series of events. The UGM delegation consists of Nurma Aisyah (class of 2021) as the head of the delegation, Vighna Rivattyannur Hernawan (class of 2020), Bima Muslih Wicaksono (class of 2022), Haryo Untoro (class of 2022), Kintan Dewinta Putri (class of 2022), Muhammad Siswoyo (class of 2022), Alma Syahwalani (class of 2023), and Meifira Arini Pitaloka (class of 2023).

There were six contested activities, including the Cultural Parade, National Scientific Writing Competition (LKTIN), Poetry Musicalization Competition, Comic Strip Competition, Cultural Tiktok Competition, and Cultural Reportage Competition. Of the six competitions, the delegation of Universitas Gadjah Mada won five competitions, including:

• 1st place in the Cultural Reportage competition (Alma Syahwalani)

The Cultural Reportage competition raised the theme of Taman Sari Yogyakarta, a historic water garden site, as a reflection of the splendor and majesty of Indonesian culture that is passed down to this day.

• 2nd place in the National Scientific Writing Competition (Haryo Untoro and Muhammad Siswoyo)

The National Scientific Writing Competition entitled Reflection of the Entity of the Agrarian Tradition in the Track Record of Cowongan Song Verses, raised the Cowongan ritual song verses as material objects that contain elements of agricultural in the form of various plants and animals. The elements are then associated with their classification in Javanese culture and reveal the inheritance related to the name of the agrarian elements and the agrarian mythology behind them.

• 2nd place in Comic Strip competition (Meifira Arini Pitaloka)

The Comic Strip competition with the theme “environmental conservation based on local wisdom” tells the story of young people who want to reforest by paying attention to the philosophy of these plants.

• 3rd place in the Poetry Musicalization competition (Nurma Aisyah and Bima Muslih Wicaksono)

The Poetry Musicalization Competition raised the theme “Sabda Budaya: Mukhti Luwir Nihan Segara” brought poetry created by Muhammad Siswoyo about the beauty and majesty of the nation’s culture. The poem was performed with a recitation combined with singing and musical accompaniment, thus mesmerizing the other participants.

• 3rd place in Tiktok Nusantara competition (Kintan Dewinta Putri)

Cultural Tiktok competition featuring traditional games, including Dakon or Congklak, Clogs, and games accompanied by dolanan cublek-cublek suweng songs.

The achievement of the UGM Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program in winning various competitions is a concrete manifestation of UGM Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Students in promoting, appreciating, and preserving the diverse cultures and traditions in Indonesia.

With the existence of the XXIXth National Cultural Gathering activities, it is hoped that they will motivate students to be interested in promoting this cultural heritage and tradition. Furthermore, this National Cultural Gathering activity can strengthen relationships between students of regional literature study programs throughout Indonesia and implement sustainable development goals, especially in improving the quality of education, extracting local wisdom that is in tune with the ecosystem, and working together to preserve and explore the nation’s cultural potential.

We would like to thank all those who have participated in the success of this event. Hopefully, Imbasadi can continue to accommodate students majoring in regional literature throughout Indonesia in developing and preserving the nation’s culture.

Indonesia is diverse, and Imbasadi unites.