Yogyakarta, November 26, 2025 – The Executive Board of the Faculty of Humanities (LEM FIB UGM) conducted a student visit to the Tribun Network Jogja office on Wednesday, November 26, 2025. The student visit is a program of the Public Relations and Organization Ministry (RPO) of LEM FIB UGM as part of a series of collaborative activities aimed at expanding students’ knowledge, skills, and direct contributions in the field of media and communication. The student visit was held in Room C of the Tribun Network Jogja office, located at Ringroad Barat Street No. 11, Nusupan, Trihanggo, Gamping, Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta. 

Tribun Network Jogja, also known as TribunJogja.Com, is one of the regional newspapers operating in the Special Region of Yogyakarta and is a subsidiary of the Kompas Gramedia Group. The company operates in the mass media sector as part of the Tribun Network.

The visit to Tribun Network Jogja took place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The event began with an opening speech from a representative of LEM FIB UGM, followed by a presentation by the Digital Manager of Tribun Jogja, Mr Ikrob Didik Irawan. The material covered websites, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Google Analytics, social media management, creative content creation, and branding strategies. The next activity was a tour of the work environment, which included workspaces, relaxation areas, and a room containing imported newspaper printing machines.

This activity not only focused on theoretical understanding of the media industry but also served as a practical learning experience through the workplace tour, providing a real-world glimpse into the operations of the Tribun Network Jogja. LEM FIB UGM hopes this activity will continue to have a positive impact as a manifestation of students’ commitment to actively contribute to the development of the media and communication industry, while also serving as a sustainable collaborative agenda for the future.

The success of this student visit strengthens the position of LEM FIB UGM as a proactive unit in building external relations and developing student competencies in various fields, ranging from digital communication to creative industry exploration. LEM FIB UGM expresses its highest appreciation to the management of Tribun Network Jogja, especially Mr Ikrob Didik Irawan, for his cooperation, as well as to all participants who have actively participated. The presence and enthusiasm of all elements were key to the success of this Media Industry Introduction activity.

This student visit has tangibly supported the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) through sessions on websites, SEO, Google Analytics, social media, creative content, and branding; SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by ensuring that education is accessible to all who need it, regardless of socioeconomic status; and SDG 17 (Partnerships for The Goal) through effective collaboration between LEM FIB UGM students and Tribun Network Jogja.

Author: Gracia Nofidelia Joherman

Yogyakarta, November 29, 2025 – Efforts to strengthen the Korean Studies ecosystem in Indonesia have entered a new phase with the hosting of the INAKOS Seminar titled The Role of INAKOS in Reinforcing Korean Studies in Indonesia on Saturday, November 29, 2025, at the Soegondo Building Auditorium, Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) UGM. Organized by The International Association for Korean Studies in Indonesia (INAKOS) in collaboration with the Korean Language and Culture Study Program at FIB UGM and the Korea Foundation, the event marked an important milestone in revitalizing INAKOS as a center for academic collaboration and research development in Korean Studies in Indonesia.

In his opening remarks, the Dean of FIB UGM, Prof. Setiadi, reaffirmed the faculty’s commitment to strengthening the East Asian studies ecosystem.
“We are preparing proper infrastructure to support East Asian studies. The building next to this one is fully dedicated to academic study centers, one of which is Inakos. We aim for all research centers at FIB to be integrated within a multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary environment,” he stated.

Support was also expressed by the Director of the Korea Foundation, Lee Sanghoon, who highlighted the strategic role of INAKOS as an academic bridge between Indonesia and Korea.
“The Korea Foundation fully supports Inakos in revitalizing academic spaces and dialogue for scholars with deep interests in Korea. We believe Inakos will play an important role as a bridge in strengthening Korean Studies in Indonesia,” he said.

Meanwhile, Acting Ambassador of Korea to Indonesia, Park Soo-deok, emphasized the importance of strengthening cross-national collaboration through research and academic dialogue.
“Indonesia and Korea have a long history of cooperation in culture and education. Through research, academic exchange, and scholarly dialogue such as today, both countries continue to build stronger bridges of mutual understanding,” he noted.

On the same occasion, the 2025 President of INAKOS, Suray Agung Nugroho, presented the strategic direction of the newly reactivated organization. He emphasized that INAKOS serves as a home, space, and academic umbrella to unite scholars and observers of Korean Studies in Indonesia, as well as to enhance collaborative and sustainable research.

Following the opening remarks, the audience was treated to a performance of the Korean Fan Dance, presented through a collaboration by students from the Korean Language and Culture Study Program at FIB UGM. The program continued with academic presentations by speakers from UGM, UI, UPI, and Universitas Nasional.

The first presentation was delivered by Rostinue from the University of Indonesia, who explained the role of Korean Studies scholars as academic and cultural bridges that strengthen bilateral interactions between Indonesia and Korea. The next speaker, Ashanti Widyana from the Indonesia University of Education (UPI), presented research trends in UPI’s Korean Language Education Program from 2020 to 2025, focusing on strengthening applied linguistics research, cultural studies, and integrating research outcomes into educational practice.

The session continued with Desitha Dwi Asriani from FISIPOL UGM, who discussed body modification and gender performativity among young Asian men and women from a comparative Indonesia–Korea perspective. The next presentation, by Rurani Adinda from Universitas Nasional, explored differences in the meanings of idioms related to the head in Korean and Indonesian. The final speaker, Achmad Rio, Head of the Korean Language and Culture Study Program at FIB UGM, delivered a talk on analyzing translation patterns of the adnominal ending deon-eass-does using a Korean–Indonesian parallel corpus.

This seminar is expected to serve as an initial step in expanding academic networks in Korean Studies in Indonesia, while strengthening academic contributions to cultural, social, and educational cooperation between Indonesia and Korea. Continued collaboration will open broader spaces for dialogue and encourage innovative scholarly work that benefits society and advances knowledge.

In the long term, this initiative is expected to enhance access to knowledge and opportunities for academic exchange, contributing to human development and a more inclusive and sustainable future for both countries.

[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]

On Friday (November 21, 2025), Prof. Dr. Pujo Semedi served as a panel discussant in the session “Monsters, Devils, and Survival: The Persistence of Plantations and People in the Scholarship of Pujo Semedi” at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) in New Orleans, LA, supported by FULLBRIGHT funding through the Scholar in Residence Grant at the University of Colorado Boulder for Fall 2025. The panel was inspired by Pujo’s academic work on plantations, which investigates how colonial hegemony in its efforts to build capital accumulation by sacrificing human sociality has instead resulted in the loss of assets and weakened capacities for survival. In his presentation, Pujo invited participants to explore how non-human entities such as “ghosts” influence social and material relations within plantation environments.

Through ethnographic research in Kalimantan’s palm oil plantations, Java’s tea plantations, and Germany’s vineyards, Pujo argues that “ghosts” are understood as empirical and material realities by plantation communities. Although spiritual beings are not bound by physical laws or fixed forms, belief in them becomes a productive lens for ethical and emic understanding. Positioned within a strong postcolonial perspective, Pujo’s ideas are seen as important for advancing research on extraction and imperial accumulation in postcolonial nations. The panel, featuring Carla Jones and five PhD students from the University of Colorado Boulder, embodied efforts to decolonize knowledge, highlighting Pujo Semedi’s role in fostering cross-cultural academic collaboration.

Author: Penulis: Okky Chandra Baskoro

Yogyakarta, 18 November 2025 — As part of its ongoing effort to expand creative dialogue within the academic community, the Master’s Program in Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, held a public lecture titled “Tracing Self-Identity Through Fiction” on Tuesday, 18 November 2025, in Room 204 of the Soegondo Building, FIB UGM. The event featured California-based writer of Vietnamese–Indonesian descent, Mazdo, as the keynote speaker, with Naria Nur Iftitah serving as moderator. Her presence drew enthusiastic attention from students, alumni, and literary researchers eager to explore how fiction can serve as a medium for reflecting identity, personal experience, and socio-cultural dynamics.

In her presentation, Mazdo explained that writing, for her, is a deep dialogue between personal experience, imagination, and the internal questions that continually shape her creative process. She introduced three of her short stories as examples of how she navigates identity through fiction. The first piece she discussed, When the Moths Came (2023), stems from her personal experience. “This story began from my experience living in an apartment where moths were flying everywhere— in the kitchen, around the living room, everywhere. I felt disturbed, but I thought it would be interesting to turn it into a short story,” she explained. From this simple experience, Mazdo crafted a narrative about a married couple dealing with the constant presence of moths, which disrupt their daily life and create emotional distance between them.

Her second story, The Collector (2024), is rooted in her time studying at the Southeast Asia Program building at Cornell University, which was filled with cultural artifacts. She invited the audience to examine how such objects hold long historical traces, including power relations between the United States and Southeast Asian nations. Through the perspective of two curious and innocent children, she demonstrates how Orientalism and colonial traces can be reimagined in fictional space.

Meanwhile, her story Cut Blooms (2025) highlights the relationship between two sisters—shaped by affection, misunderstanding, and an unbreakable emotional bond. Mazdo shared that the inspiration for this work came from her closeness to her own sisters. “When I write, inspiration can come from anywhere, even from my own life experiences. For example, Cut Blooms comes from my personal experience, but I do not write it literally as it happened. Since I write fiction, only small details that truly happened in my life are adapted into the story,” she explained. This statement helped the audience understand that fiction does not require literal adherence to real events, but instead transforms lived experience into a broader emotional structure.

The public lecture also aligned with values of social and cultural sustainability. Through her stories, Mazdo demonstrated that literature can serve as a tool for cultivating empathy, honoring diverse identities, and encouraging reflection on one’s place within larger historical contexts.

The question-and-answer session unfolded warmly and thoughtfully. The first question came from Marisa Santi (Kagama UGM), who asked about the narrative approach Mazdo most frequently uses, whether she prefers the author as an omniscient narrator or allows the characters full autonomy. Responding to this, Mazdo said, “I tend to use the first approach, where the writer serves as the narrator.” She added that this position allows her to guide the fictional world while still giving her characters space to move freely.

The next question was posed by Marsya Kamila, a student of UGM’s Master’s Program in Literature, who asked whether Mazdo plans to write fiction that explicitly addresses migration or identity exploration in the United States, given that her parents migrated there. Mazdo responded enthusiastically: “Yes, because both of my parents come from Vietnam and Indonesia, I think it would be interesting to write fiction that gives voice to our origins and experiences.” Her answer indicates that family history and migration remain enduring sources of inspiration in her creative journey.

The event concluded with great appreciation from participants, who felt they gained new insights into how fiction operates as a tool for self-exploration, historical reading, and reinterpreting lived experience. The Master’s Program in Literature hopes that similar public lectures will continue to provide creative spaces that strengthen literary literacy while fostering cultural awareness and sustainability in society.

[Master’s Program in Literature, Marsya Kamila]

Yogyakarta, 13 November 2025 — The Master’s Program in Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, welcomed an academic visit from the Master’s Program in Literary Studies, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Diponegoro at Room 709, Soegondo Building, FIB UGM. The event was part of the ongoing implementation of the cooperation agreement between the two faculties in education, research, and community engagement.

The visit began with a warm welcome from the UGM Master’s in Literature team, who greeted the UNDIP delegation of lecturers and students. From the outset, the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly, reflecting the longstanding relationship between the two institutions.

The first remarks were delivered by the Head of UGM’s Master’s Program in Literature, Prof. Dr. Aprinus Salam, M.Hum. In his address, he expressed his delight in receiving the academic visit. He emphasized the personal and academic closeness he shares with UNDIP, stating that the meeting felt like a family gathering. “I feel very close to UNDIP. I once taught there, and several of the lecturers are my close friends. So today truly feels like meeting family,” he said, receiving warm responses from attendees.

This was followed by remarks from the Head of the Master’s Program in Literary Studies at Universitas Diponegoro, Dr. Sukarjo Waluyo, M.Hum. He conveyed his enthusiasm for the opportunity to visit UGM in person and observe firsthand the learning atmosphere and academic dynamics of UGM’s Master’s Program in Literature. He noted that the visit was valuable for gaining insights into program management and for strengthening inter-faculty collaboration.

The event continued with presentations of study program profiles from both institutions. Representatives from UGM’s Master’s in Literature and UNDIP’s Master’s in Literary Studies shared information on curriculum structures, research focuses, teaching models, and recent developments within their programs. The session was interactive, with each institution exchanging insights and experiences. UNDIP presented several interesting points regarding learning strategies and curriculum innovation, while UGM elaborated on its academic management approach, including how the program operates with six specialization tracks.

The discussion grew livelier during the Q&A session. One UNDIP lecturer inquired about how UGM manages to open six specializations at the master’s level—namely Indonesian Literature, Javanese Literature, English Literature, French Literature, Japanese Literature, and Arabic Literature. In response, Prof. Aprinus explained that launching a specialization requires at least ten interested students and available faculty members. If no students register for a specialization in a particular semester, the track will not be opened for that term. He emphasized that this system has been implemented for a long time.

Students from both universities were equally active in the discussion. A UNDIP student asked about the forms of assignments and examinations used in the UGM Master’s program. UGM students from various specializations then shared their experiences. Nada from Arabic Literature explained, “In the first semester, we study many theoretical foundations as preparation for writing the thesis later on, such as sociology of literature, feminism, post-structuralism, and postcolonialism. In the second semester we continue with specialization courses, and in the third and fourth semesters we focus on the thesis.”

Nai from English Literature added, “For final assessments or examinations, they are usually in the form of academic papers, and in some English Literature specialization courses, we also have weekly essay assignments.”. Meanwhile, Marsya from French Literature shared her experience as the only student in her specialization that year. “In my cohort, I happened to be the only one taking the French Literature specialization. However, the classes were still conducted, and the lecturers continued to provide materials. As for the final assignment, it is similar to other specializations—either a draft article or a submitted article to a SINTA-indexed or Scopus-indexed journal,” she explained.

The Q&A session created an intimate academic atmosphere as lecturers and students from both institutions exchanged questions, perspectives, and reflections. The interaction demonstrated a strong enthusiasm for learning from one another and building a broader academic network.

The academic visit concluded with hopes that the collaboration between UGM’s Master’s in Literature and UNDIP’s Master’s in Literary Studies will continue to grow through similar activities in the future. The meeting not only strengthened institutional ties but also opened meaningful avenues for knowledge exchange, enriching the academic experience for all participants.

[Master’s Program in Literature, Marsya Kamila]