In a public lecture held on Friday, March 8, 2024, the UGM Department of History presented Dr. Maarten Fornerod, an associate professor in cell biology from Erasmus Medisch Centrum Rotterdam. In addition, he is also the secretary of the Indische Genealogische Vereniging (IGV) organization. This event is entitled Tracing Indonesian Family History in Europe: How the World Gets Smaller by Bigger Data From Archives and DNA which was held on the 2nd Floor of the Multimedia Room, Margono Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM from 09.00-11.00 WIB.

The presentation material presented by Dr. Maarten Fornerod related to the methodology of the object of study of family history is fairly new. He introduced a methodology that combines the use of archival sources and DNA data tracking of the object under study. He used this method to trace his family history which showed that his family had Chinese genealogy from Indonesia. Then, his relatives spread to several countries in Europe. Dr. Maarten Fornerod also explained that the Indonesian-Dutch heritage that spreads in Europe usually starts from the mother’s line. This is related to mitochondrial DNA, which scientifically is one hundred percent inherited from the mother.

Dr. Maarten Fonerod also said that IGV in collaboration with the VerhalenOverLeven Foundation is conducting a research project entitled “10,000 Voormoeders Project”. This activity aims to build a database consisting of photos, biographical data, and oral history information about 10,000 former Ancestral Mothers in Asia. The project invites the participation of the public who have genealogical connections to the Dutch East Indies or Indonesia to collect various information related to their ancestors. The database that is built is expected to navigate the various dimensions of information obtained to find out the family history of descendants of the Dutch East Indies or Indonesia in Europe.

“So, my conclusion is that… the archive and the DNA can be used to get a clear picture of individual histories, right? And this connection of individual histories, there are rich sources of human history, and they kind of complement, let’s say, top-down history, official history from the government,” said Dr. Maarten Fornerod.

SDG 4: Quality education | SDGs 4: Enrolment | SDGs 4: Equal access | SDGs 4: Education for sustainability | SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth 

Career Talk: Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs was a discussion program about future careers, especially for English literature graduates, which was organized by IMAJI (English Literature Department Student Association) and attended by various active students of the English Literature study program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, from all generations. The study program deliberately presented a speaker who had a lot of great experience that can be a motivation for students. The speaker was MOHAMAD WAHID SUPRIYADI, Indonesian Ambassador for UAE (2008-2011), Indonesian Ambassador for Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus (2016-2020), Visiting Professor of International Relations from Tomsk State University. The event took place on May 13rd, 2024 at 10 until 12 am in Soegondo room 310, hosted by a Master of Ceremony, Aimar Prabhaswara Dzakri, who is an English literature student at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada.

In this activity, students did not only listen to knowledge from one direction or from the speaker, but they felt reciprocity because they discussed and voiced their opinions which were later commented on and answered by the speaker. They discussed about Indonesians who study or work abroad but do not want to return. Mr. Mohammad Wahid Supriyadi responded that this could not be said to be a traitor or something like that considering the facilities provided by this country to them are not as good as when abroad and even many great people are not appreciated. There were also those who asked about what made him from the UGM English Literature study program finally appointed as an ambassador from Indonesia in Russia with full powers. He also shared that he initially only corrected English documents when no one else could, then was appointed to write speeches of high-ranking officials, then became the minutes of international meetings. Finally, he gave a conclusion at the end of the meeting that the problem of many people is that they are too quiet, as a diplomat you have to talk more.

SDGs 1: Basic service | SDGs 4: Quality Education | SDGs 4: Education for sustainability | SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth | SDGs 8: Development oriented policy | SDG 10: Reduced inequality | SDGs 10: Development assistance | SDGs 10: Education | SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities | SDGs 12: Efficient use of resources

Dr. Realisa Darathea Masardi was invited as a speaker by the Community Studies Unit (USIK) of Parahyangan Catholic University to discuss transnational migration. The discussion, which addressed the handling of refugees in Indonesia, was conducted via Zoom meeting on March 27, 2024, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Participants included not only students from Unpar but also anthropology students from UGM, as well as researchers and migration activists in Indonesia. This migration study was discussed because it has become a growing global issue, with numbers increasing each year.

Dr. Realisa explained refugees by referring to The 1951 Refugee Convention, which defines a refugee as someone unable or unwilling to return to their home country due to factors such as persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. She also noted that the causes of refugee situations have expanded to include extreme climate change, conflict, and economic crises.

Dr. Realisa, affectionately known as Mbak Lisa, discussed the findings of her dissertation research on refugee issues and her encounters with refugees in Jabodetabek, Medan, and Bogor. While discussing refugees, she also shared insights from her brief research on the Rohingya. According to her, since the 1990s, Indonesia has served as a transit point for asylum seekers before they set sail for Australia. However, in 2013, Australia implemented Operation Sovereign Borders, resulting in refugees facing waiting periods of 4-11 years.

Dr. Realisa also discussed Indonesian regulations on refugees and asylum seekers, specifically Presidential Regulation No. 125 of 2016 concerning the handling of refugees from abroad. This regulation only covers discovery, shelter, security, immigration supervision, and funding. It does not mention the rights and access afforded to refugees. The regulation outlines three durable solutions: voluntary repatriation, deportation, and resettlement. Local integration is not an option, which makes it difficult for refugees to sustain themselves, relying on assistance from relatives.

The discussion proceeded very well, touching on topics such as community empowerment of refugees through opening online stores managed by their community, educational scholarships provided by various universities to refugees, and experiences of the refugees, among others.

SDGs 4: Quality Education | SDGs 4: Cultural diversity | SDGs 4: Education for sustainability | SDGs 4: Education in developing | SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth | SDG 9: Industry innovation and infrastructure | SDGs 9: Affordable access | SDGs 9: Cooperation | SDG 10: Reduced inequality | SDGs 10: Culture | SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities | SDGs 11: Community | SDG 16: Peace justice and strong institutions | SDGs 16: Accountable institutions | SDGs 17: Partnerships for the Goals | SDGs 17: Capacity building | SDGs 17: Foreign direct investments | SDGs 17: Global partnership

On Thursday, April 25th 2024, Ms. Alfiana, a lecturer from the Korean language and culture major, presented her paper titled “The social economic background of Indonesian students and their determining factor to study in Korea” in the Daegu University Center for Multiculturalism and Social Policy’s (DU CMSP) colloquium. The colloquium was attended by multidisciplinary educational professors and researchers who showed their interest in Korean studies in Indonesia by asking numerous questions despite the lack of research in both countries.

Currently, research on Korean studies is dominated by Korean language-related topics. But unfortunately, compared to the Southeast Asia region’s countries, such as Vietnam and Thailand, the number of research studies was left behind. Thus, DU CMSP welcomes the new path of research collaboration with the Faculty of Cultural Science (FIB) at UGM and offers a research collaboration agreement. The agreement was signed by DU CMSP’s chief, Prof. Yun Jae Woon, after a colloquium, and later signed by the Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Science, Prof. Dr. Setiadi, S. Sos, and M. Si in Indonesia. This collaborative research agreement expects to build strong cooperation between two institutions and boost the number of research publications in Indonesia and Korea, especially those related to Korean studies. Research and publications in the long term have a role to play in offering problem resolutions for some current issues in Korea, such as inequality among immigrants, which becomes the world’s sustainable development goal number 10, to reduce inequality. 

The lecture continued to the next day, April 26th 2024, at the 2024 DCU CMS ASKA DU CMSP Joint International Conference, which was held at Daegu Catholic University in Gyeongsan City, Korea. A representative of UGM, Ms. Alfiana, was given a chance to open the first term by presenting her research, “The culture shock and reverse culture shock among Indonesian exchange students: focusing on UGM students.” The joint international conference between the Center of Multicultural Society of Daegu Catholic University, the Association for the Studies of Korean Living Abroad, and the Center for Multiculturalism and Social Policy has opened up chances for Korean students and professors to understand the condition of Indonesian exchange students in Korea. Some students from UGM also listened to the lecturers by zoom. In the future, it is expected to hold a joint international conference in Indonesia. 

SDG 4: Quality education | SDGs 4: Education for sustainability | SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth | SDGs 8: Decent work for all | SDGs 9: Affordable access | SDG 10: Reduced inequalities | SDGs 10: Education | SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities | SDGs 11: Adaptable | SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions | SDGs 16: Accountable institutions

The happy graduates and their parents were present at the Raden Soegondo Building Auditorium, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM / to take part in the Mangayubagya Graduate Program Graduate Program Third period Academic Year 2023/2024 on April 24, 2024. As usual before starting the event, do not forget the Master of Ceremony, which at that time was entrusted to Vivin and Diyah, conveyed some information for safety and smoothness during the event. The audience was then asked to stand while the Dean, Deputy Dean, Head of Department, and Head of Postgraduate Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada entered the ceremony room. After all attendees were in the room, the MC welcomed everyone. 

The event began with several speeches. The first speech, from the Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, will be represented by the Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, M.Hum. The second speech will be delivered by the Deputy Graduate of the Middle East Cultural Studies Master Program, Br. Rafika Fidlaty Zulfa, M.A. The event continued with the presentation of Beksan Nirbaya Dance performed by FIB UGM students who are members of the Sastro Obah student activity unit. Beksan Nirbaya or Edan-edanan dance is one of dozens of dances in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. The dance is named “Edan-edanan Nirbaya Dance”. “Nir” which means reject, “Baya” which means danger so that this dance is interpreted as a dance that rejects danger, especially during the wedding procession or other major events. With four dancers and pairs, this dance was created not only as a ritual to repel bad luck, but also as entertainment.

The next event was the submission of graduation documents consisting of English diplomas and transcripts. The graduation documents were submitted by each Head of Study Program to the graduates. The graduates came forward in an orderly manner to receive the graduation documents followed by a group photo. Before closing, the event was paused for a moment to pray for protection and safety for us and goodness for the Faculty of Cultural Sciences. The joint prayer was led by Br. Cahya Daru, M.A. Finally, the Dean, Deputy Deans, Heads of Departments, and Heads of Postgraduate Study Programs, Faculty of Sciences followed by graduates and parents / guardians were allowed to leave the ceremony room. The organizing committee would like to thank you for your presence in this mangayubagya event.