The inter-staff (tendik) volleyball competition among the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Faculty of Philosophy, Faculty of Psychology, and Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) was held once again. The event took place at the FEB South Volleyball Court on August 14, 2026, from 07:30 to 09:30 WIB. Around 45 female staff members enthusiastically participated in the competition, with 10 players per team.

This inter-faculty sports event was specially organized to celebrate the 71st Anniversary (Dies Natalis) of FEB.

From the first round, the competition ran smoothly and was full of excitement leading up to the final round, which brought together the staff teams from FIB and FEB. The final match featured several intense rallies. Continuous cheering from FIB staff on the sidelines created a thrilling and vibrant atmosphere.

In the end, the FEB staff team emerged victorious with a clean 3-0 score over FIB. Despite falling short in the final, the FIB staff remained cheerful and proud of their team’s improved performance. “Second place is okay; we have come a long way compared to before,” said Vivin, one of the FIB staff members, after the match.

Sports as Part of Work-Life Balance

This friendly volleyball match carries broader meaning beyond a simple sports competition. Joint activities between faculties serve as an effort to build work-life balance—achieving equilibrium between work responsibilities, physical health, social relationships, and individual well-being. Exercising together offers lecturers and administrative staff an opportunity to engage in physical activity, relieve routine work stress, and build positive interpersonal relationships. A healthy and supportive work environment is expected to boost enthusiasm, happiness, productivity, and overall work quality among the academic community.

For FIB UGM, this event aligns with its commitment to creating a healthy, inclusive, collaborative work and academic environment oriented toward community well-being.

Supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The execution of the Humanities Cluster Friendly Volleyball Tournament contributes to achieving several relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:

• SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being: Joint sports activities promote a healthy lifestyle through physical activity while providing space for recreation and relaxation.
• SDG 4 – Quality Education: Although a non-academic event, sports activities and cross-faculty interactions support the creation of a holistic educational environment.
• SDG 5 – Gender Equality: Sports activities offer an equal participation space for the academic community regardless of gender, promoting an inclusive campus environment with equal opportunities in social and sports events.
• SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth: Efforts to build work-life balance, health, fitness, and overall well-being for lecturers and administrative staff foster a healthy and productive work environment.
• SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities: Friendly matches serve as an interactive space that brings together members from various faculties on an equal footing.
• SDG 16 – Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: Sportsmanship, respect for rules, teamwork, and positive communication are key values in building harmonious inter-faculty relationships.
• SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals: The friendly volleyball match is a concrete example of strengthening partnerships and collaboration across faculties within the Humanities Cluster.

Thus, this activity not only yields athletic achievements but also contributes to building a healthy, prosperous, inclusive, collaborative, and sustainable campus.

Moving forward, inter-faculty sports and community activities are expected to continue sustainably. In addition to strengthening friendships and partnerships, these events serve as a means to maintain fitness, enhance happiness, and support work-life balance for the UGM academic community.

[Author: FIB Public Relations, Zaidan Abdurrahman]

Yogyakarta, February 26, 2026 – Indonesian novelist and sociologist Okky Madasari, Ph.D., delivered a critical reflection titled “The Representation of Marginalized Voices: Who Speaks for Them?” at a public discussion forum in Yogyakarta. In her presentation, she encouraged participants to question who truly speaks on behalf of marginalized communities.

Okky elaborated on various forms of marginalization occurring across different spheres of life, including economic, political, cultural, identity-based, and even global political marginalization. According to her, marginalized groups often face not only limited access to resources but also the loss of space to represent themselves within public discourse.

“Representation that does not stem from empathy and solidarity will continue to exclude and sideline marginalized communities,” she emphasized. She warned that without critical awareness, voices claiming to represent marginalized groups may, in fact, reinforce unequal power relations and perpetuate social exclusion.

In the context of Ramadan, Okky also underscored the importance of social piety. “Ramadan is about social piety. A mosque is not only a place of worship, but also a space for dialogue and critical education,” she stated. She encouraged society to transform religious spaces into arenas for fostering empathy, solidarity, and advocacy for vulnerable groups.

The discussion is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly the commitment to reducing inequalities (SDG 10) by strengthening the participation and representation of vulnerable groups in decision-making processes. Furthermore, the promotion of critical dialogue, social justice, and inclusive public spaces supports the goal of peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16). Efforts to build collective awareness and social solidarity also contribute to the creation of inclusive and sustainable communities, in line with SDG 11.

Through this reflection, Okky Madasari reaffirmed that advocating for marginalized voices is not merely about providing them with speaking space, but about ensuring empathy, solidarity, and structural transformation so that they can become full subjects in social and political life.

[Public Reation of FIB UGM, Alma Syahwalani]

Yogyakarta, January 8, 2025 — The Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), facilitated the distribution of donations from Jogokariyan Mosque to 18 FIB UGM students from Sumatra who were affected by flooding. This assistance reflects the care and solidarity of various elements of society toward students directly impacted by natural disasters.

The event was attended by four representatives of the affected students from Sumatra, the Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Prof. Dr. Setiadi, M.Si., the Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation, and Alumni Affairs, Dr. Mimi Savitri, M.A., the Vice Dean for Finance, Assets, and Human Resources, Suray Agung Nugroho, S.S., M.A., Ph.D., Paksi Raras Alit as a representative of artists from the Jogja Hanyengkuyung Sumatra organizing committee, representatives of the Jogokariyan Mosque management, and volunteers.

Paksi Raras Alit explained that on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, the Jogja Hanyengkuyung Sumatra initiative was held as an expression of solidarity by musicians, event organizers, volunteers, and the Yogyakarta community to support those affected by flooding in Sumatra. He also noted that coordination had been carried out with Kagama and Kagama Care for the construction of sanitation facilities (MCK) in the affected areas, which has now begun. The fundraising effort was conducted in collaboration with Jogokariyan Mosque, which is widely recognized for its transparent and trustworthy fund management system, ensuring that the assistance would be distributed effectively and appropriately.

A representative of the volunteers stated that their presence at FIB UGM also served as an opportunity to strengthen ties and was expected to mark the beginning of further cooperation in social and humanitarian initiatives. Meanwhile, a representative of the Jogokariyan Mosque management explained that the mosque had been entrusted by the Jogja Hanyengkuyung Sumatra committee, along with recommendations from Kagama FIB, to distribute aid to FIB UGM students affected by the disaster in Sumatra.

The Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Prof. Dr. Setiadi, M.Si., emphasized that FIB UGM remains open to various forms of collaboration, particularly those related to community assistance and community service activities. He also reaffirmed his support for synergy among universities, communities, and society in addressing shared needs.

The financial assistance distributed by Jogokariyan Mosque amounted to IDR 3,000,000 per student. The aid is distributed every three months through the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM. The symbolic handover of the assistance during the final session of the event was represented by four affected students from Sumatra.

This donation distribution activity not only aims to alleviate the economic burden faced by students affected by the disaster but also seeks to ensure the continuity of their education while strengthening the spirit of mutual cooperation and cross-community partnerships. Through collaboration among educational institutions, religious communities, artists, volunteers, and alumni, this initiative also supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in mitigating post-disaster social impacts, ensuring inclusive access to education, and strengthening partnerships for sustainable development.

[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Alma Syahwalani]

Yogyakarta, December, 16, 2025 – The Neuroscience-Based Language Teaching approach became the central focus of an academic activity held at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB), Universitas Gadjah Mada. The event aimed to introduce and discuss language learning strategies that emphasize the role of emotions, focus, and meaningful learning experiences grounded in how the human brain works.

The activity opened with the singing of the Indonesian national anthem Indonesia Raya and the Gadjah Mada Hymn, followed by opening remarks from the course lecturer. The program then continued with the screening of instructional videos and educational animations illustrating the application of neuroscience in the language learning process, before proceeding to an interactive talk show session.

In their presentations, the speakers emphasized that emotional elements play a vital role in language learning. Positive emotions, a sense of trust, and learner engagement have been shown to support the formation of emotional memory, making the learning process more meaningful and the material easier to retain. This was demonstrated through various examples of interactive learning media, including animated videos and educational games.

The first talk show session was moderated by Rizky Ramadhani under the theme “Languages Through Gamification: A Neuroscience-Based Approach.” Several language education practitioners served as speakers, namely Tabinda Putri, Eva Pras, Fajri, and Elvina. They shared their experiences in applying neuroscience-based approaches through gamification methods in language teaching.

Elvina, an English course instructor whose students range in age from 17 to 25, highlighted the characteristics of Generation Z learners, who tend to become easily bored. To address this challenge, she developed learning media in the form of a snakes-and-ladders–style board game as well as web-based games. According to her, language learning does not need to begin with a strong emphasis on grammar, but can be packaged in a more engaging way through games that train learners’ focus and participation.

Meanwhile, Tabinda Putri, an instructor of Indonesian for Speakers of Other Languages (BIPA), emphasized the importance of building emotional rapport with learners before introducing the core material. She explained that light conversations about students’ names, interests, and backgrounds serve as an effective initial approach to building trust. This trust fosters positive feelings that influence learners’ memory and comprehension of the learning material.

The speakers also underlined the importance of adjusting teaching methods to learners’ preferred learning styles—visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. The use of images, videos, writing on the board, role play, and games was considered effective in accommodating this diversity of learning styles. At the same time, Fajri highlighted challenges related to limited technological facilities in certain learning contexts, which need to be collectively addressed in the development of innovative teaching methods.

This activity reflects FIB UGM’s commitment to providing inclusive, innovative, and research-based language education. The Neuroscience-Based Language Teaching approach aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 4 on Quality Education through the strengthening of effective, learner-centered teaching methods. In addition, the activity supports Goal 10 on Reduced Inequalities by promoting access to adaptive learning, as well as Goal 9 on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure through the use of innovative media and technology in language education.

[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Alma Syahwalani]