Students of the Korean Language and Culture Study Program have once again gained the opportunity to participate in a student exchange program at prestigious universities in South Korea. This opportunity has been awarded to three students through a scholarship program from the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation (Hyundai Motor CMK), which will take place over two semesters (Fall 2026 – Spring 2027).

Continuing the achievements of previous years, students from the Korean Language and Culture Study Program have once again been selected as awardees of the Hyundai CMK Scholarship for the 2026/2027 academic year. This prestigious scholarship offers various benefits, including full tuition coverage, living expenses support, and opportunities to experience Korean culture firsthand. In addition, recipients will gain insights into corporate culture in South Korea and participate in a variety of academic and non-academic activities organized by the CMK Foundation.

The three selected students will pursue their studies at three renowned universities: Yonsei University, Korea University, and Seoul National University. This achievement is not only a source of pride for the students but also strengthens the academic reputation of the study program.

Justin Liepangi, a 2024 student of the Korean Language and Culture Study Program who will study at Yonsei University, expressed his gratitude and pride:

“Becoming one of the Awardees of the Hyundai CMK Scholarship 2026 is a great honor for me. I was able to obtain this scholarship thanks to the support of my family and friends who have encouraged me to keep moving forward. For me, this journey is clear proof that the limits of our abilities often exist only in our minds. I applied for the Hyundai CMK Foundation Scholarship to go beyond those limits. Do not be afraid to try! We often hesitate because we fear failure, when in fact the greatest failure is never daring to try at all. Seize every opportunity, because we never know which door will lead us to greater dreams.”

Meanwhile, Adzini Nurul Fatima Juliani, a 2023 student of the Korean Language and Culture Study Program who will study at Korea University, shared her excitement and pride:

“Ending up at Korea University feels a bit unreal, in the best way possible. That’s why being selected as one of the Hyundai CMK scholarship awardees means more to me than I can put into words. From this opportunity, I hope to take myself further—both to deepen my education in Korea at its source and to gradually build the direction of my future. And of course, I will devote my youth fully to this experience. ‘나의 청춘을 걸겠습니다,’ just as the words say. I also hope that one day I will be able to meaningfully give back to society as much as I have received.”

Ferdinanda Melinda Suryaningrum, a 2023 student who will study at Seoul National University, also expressed her gratitude for the opportunity:

“I feel extremely grateful to have been selected as an Awardee of the Hyundai CMK Scholarship 2026 and to be given the opportunity to study at Seoul National University. This opportunity will be a very meaningful experience for me. Studying abroad has always been one of my greatest dreams. ‘인생은 뭐가 있어? 도전해야지!’ With this motto, I hope that the dynamics of life I will experience during this exchange will become an unforgettable chapter in my life story, encouraging me to bravely pursue many of the things I aspire to achieve.”

The achievements of these three students are expected to inspire others to continue developing their academic potential and to seize global opportunities. Furthermore, their participation in this program is anticipated to strengthen academic and cultural ties between Indonesia and South Korea.

Author: Eunike Serafia N.S

For many students, studying abroad is more than just an academic opportunity but also a journey of self-discovery. This is certainly true for Rizkya Laili Trianisa (Nisa), an English Department student from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), batch 2024, who is currently participating in a one-semester exchange program at Jeonbuk National University (JNU) in South Korea. The program, which is part of a partnership between JNU and UGM, offers students the chance to broaden both their academic and cultural perspectives. Nisa first learned about this opportunity through the Office of International Affairs in UGM (OIA UGM), as she shared, “I found the information through OIA’s social media and website.” 

Her decision to study in South Korea was not merely influenced by the global popularity of K-culture, but rather by a deeper sense of familiarity. Having previously spent three semesters in Korea during her high school years, Nisa already had some understanding of the country and its environment. “I think my sense of similarity with Korea plays a big role,” she explained. This sense of connection was further strengthened by her choice of Jeonbuk National University, which is located in Jeonju—a city often compared to Yogyakarta by Indonesian students. “A lot of Indonesian people think that Jeonju is similar to Jogja” she said, describing both cities as places rich in historical culture with a rhythm of life that is “a bit slower yet still hectic, just like Jogja.” 

Before departing, Nisa prepared not only in practical terms but also mentally. She emphasized the importance of keeping an open mind when entering a completely new environment. This mindset proved especially useful when she arrived in South Korea during the transition from winter to spring. “The very cold weather shocked me,” she admitted, recalling the snowy rain and strong winds she encountered. Despite anticipating the cold, experiencing it firsthand was entirely different. However, instead of allowing the shock to overwhelm her, she chose to see it from a different perspective. “Before coming here, I told myself that everything is new. I wanted to learn everything from zero. So instead of shocking, it is more fascinating”, she reflected.

Like many exchange students, Nisa also faced challenges during her time abroad. Not everything went according to plan, and many of the difficulties she encountered were beyond her control. Nevertheless, she found strength in the people around her. Being surrounded by fellow students who were going through similar experiences helped her cope with these challenges. “One thing that I like is the fact that I am not alone. I have friends to talk to about what we should do to make our journey better and more memorable.” With this support system, she gradually developed a more resilient mindset, believing that “every day is like a new page and a new chance,” a perspective that continues to guide her throughout the program. 

Academically and personally, this exchange program has brought meaningful changes to Nisa’s life. She has become more confident and proactive in class, something she previously struggled with. “I try to be more proactive… I voice my opinions and ask questions,” she explained. At the same time, being exposed to a diverse international environment has broadened her perspective. These experiences continue to shape her growth as she strives to become a better version of herself.

Reflecting on her journey, Nisa encourages other students to carefully consider their own paths before applying for an exchange program. She points out that UGM offers numerous opportunities for studying abroad, and choosing the right one requires self-awareness. “UGM actually has tons of programs and exchange opportunities,” she noted. “Take your time acknowledging who you are and who you want to be, and match that with the program offered.” For Nisa, this experience has been nothing short of transformative. As she concluded in her own words, “This exchange journey is such a life changer for me—it shifted my perspective, developed my lifestyle, and improved my daily habits.” Through moments of challenge, adaptation, and discovery, her story reflects how studying abroad is not just about changing places, but about growing into someone new.

[English Literature, Maulina Artyansa]

Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has officially inaugurated Professor Dr. Nur Aini Setiawati, M.Hum., Ph.D., as a Professor of Agrarian History at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences. The inauguration ceremony took place at the UGM Central Building on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. In her inauguration speech, she analyzed the dynamics of agrarian reform and its impact on agricultural development through a comparative study between Indonesia and South Korea.

Professor Setiawati delivered a speech titled “From Agrarian Phenomena to Agricultural Development: Indonesia and Korea.” She emphasized that land ownership and control are key factors in determining the success of a country’s development. Using a chronological and thematic historical approach, she evaluated how changes in agricultural production have been heavily influenced by land policies of the past.

“Agrarian reform plays a crucial role in agricultural development. By understanding agrarian issues, this study evaluates changes in agricultural production. The main problem to be addressed in this speech is how the impact of agrarian reform on agricultural development can be re-examined, considering that the issues of agrarian reform and agricultural development since the era of kingdoms have always been a compelling subject,” stated Professor Setiawati in her speech.

In her presentation, she explained South Korea’s success in implementing agrarian reform between 1945 and 1950. The policy successfully increased agricultural productivity by providing incentives to farmers. Consequently, the Korean agricultural sector was able to provide a stable food supply amidst waves of industrialization and urbanization. Furthermore, this reform contributed to the formation of an educated working class and encouraged the emergence of a new capitalist class.

A different situation occurred during the period of 1960 to 1984. Professor Setiawati revealed that Indonesia tended to be trapped in ideological conflicts and weak bureaucracy. National industrialization in Indonesia was not aligned with land reform. Instead, land procurement for industry actually strengthened the concentration of land control by the state and corporations. On the other hand, South Korea placed agrarian reform as the main foundation of their national industrialization.

The failure to equalize land ownership in Indonesia was also triggered by a lack of supervision and resistance from local elites. This stands in stark contrast to South Korea, which successfully distributed land evenly thanks to strong institutional support, such as cooperatives and village development programs. The impact can be seen in farmers’ welfare, where South Korea achieved rice self-sufficiency while Indonesia experienced stagnation due to structural inequality.

These findings indicate that consistent agrarian governance is the main differentiator in transforming land challenges into developmental strengths. Agrarian reform is not merely an economic policy, but a historical process that reflects power relations and the future direction of a nation.

This historical record serves as an important reflection for current policy formulation. Inclusive management of agrarian resources is an absolute prerequisite for ensuring food sovereignty and public welfare in the future. Through the continuity of appropriate policies and social legitimacy, land justice is expected to become an engine of development that provides tangible benefits to all levels of society fairly and equitably.

[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]

Yogyakarta, April 19, 2026 – The Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM) held the first session of the Professorial Forum titled “Humanities for Governance and Social Transformation: Language, Literature, and Policy Politics.” This academic forum reviewed several proposals and research plans from academics that addressed various strategic issues, ranging from the dynamics of political legitimacy and customary land conflicts to the urgency of forensic linguistics in law enforcement.

The Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, and Alumni at FIB UGM, Dr. Mimi Savitri, emphasized that the theme of this forum aligned with the faculty’s research roadmap. She encouraged researchers to formulate their proposed studies into strategic recommendations for future policymakers.

“The goal is to determine how existing research can be recommended as policy briefs. We hope FIB can make a significant contribution,” said Dr. Savitri during her opening remarks.

She added that the forum intentionally invited doctoral students to motivate them and provide a concrete overview of how to draft a dissertation research proposal.

Moving into the presentation session, Professor Bambang Hudayana presented a research proposal titled “Prophecies on the Legitimacy and Delegitimacy of Indonesian Presidents.” He planned a study to examine how the leadership of Presidents Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto intersects with narratives of political prophecies or divine mandates (wangsit) on social media. Through this proposal, Professor Hudayana intends to combine the concept of Javanese power cosmology with networked religion theory. This research plan will explore how political prophecies express the spiritual hopes of the public while also serving as a symbolic instrument to either legitimize or delegitimize the power of leaders.

In the second presentation, Dr. Nur Aini Setiawati reviewed a draft book titled “Customary Land in Indonesia: Policy Politics and the Dynamics of Agrarian Conflict in the 20th Century.” This book draft seeks to bridge normative legal studies and social movement studies regarding agrarian conflicts. Dr. Setiawati explained that agrarian disputes are essentially a clash of two perspectives. There is the communal understanding of society, which views land as a generational living space, colliding with the state’s view of land as a legal and administrative object. Therefore, this book draft will uncover the history of state policy formation and its social consequences at the local level, which frequently trigger the loss of community access to customary territories.

The third presentation featured a linguistic perspective from Professor I Dewa Putu Wijana through a research plan titled “Linguistics and Forensic Linguistics.” He designed this study to respond to social interactions in the digital era, which often give rise to disharmony and verbal abuse. The research plan emphasizes that as public legal awareness increases, forensic linguistics will take on a central role. This applied linguistics approach is projected to resolve various cases of language-based crimes by utilizing branches of linguistics such as phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics.

The various drafts of academic works originating from this forum demonstrate the strong commitment of the humanities in formulating a foundation for solving societal problems. Thorough research planning related to language, culture, and history is highly essential for establishing equitable public governance. Ultimately, the effort to prepare this humanity-based research is expected to help reduce inequalities in living spaces, create an ethical communication climate, and encourage the development of more peaceful and resilient social institutions for the future.

[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]

The Deskripsi Bahasa (DB) Journal, managed by the Master’s Program in Linguistics at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), officially achieved SINTA 3 accreditation in 2026. This achievement was established based on a decree from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) following a comprehensive reaccreditation assessment process since March 2025.

First published in 2018, the journal previously held a SINTA 4 ranking since 2023. Currently, the DB Journal is led by Professor Dr. Sajarwa, M.Hum., as the Chief Editor. This accreditation upgrade serves as clear evidence of improved journal governance, publication consistency, and scientific contributions that are increasingly recognized at the national level.

Alongside this achievement, the DB Journal has also released its latest issue. “We are proud to announce that Deskripsi Bahasa Volume 9, Number 1 of 2026 has been published online, presenting credible research articles on linguistic studies,” stated the DB Journal editorial team in an official statement. This edition features five research articles that are freely and openly accessible to the public.

This scientific publication is issued regularly twice a year, specifically in March and October. The journal’s focus encompasses structural linguistics, social linguistics, and applied linguistics, which includes forensic linguistics, translation, language teaching, and psycholinguistics. Readers and prospective authors can view the complete scientific scope of this journal through its official website at journal.ugm.ac.id/v3/db.

For upcoming publications, the DB Journal, published in collaboration with the Linguistics Forum (Forum Linguistik), is currently accepting manuscript submissions for Volume 9, Number 2, which will be released in October 2026. The journal charges an article processing fee of IDR 679,592, applicable once an article is accepted. The journal’s management specifically provides a fee waiver option for authors with financial limitations by submitting relevant reasons and evidence.

The accreditation upgrade and open access policy reaffirm the institution’s commitment to providing quality literature that reaches all levels of society. This continuous effort supports the equitable expansion of knowledge access while also encouraging the creation of innovative research beneficial for solving various linguistic issues within the community.

[Humas FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]