Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) reaffirmed its commitment to international academic collaboration and knowledge exchange through its active participation in the CHSS 2026 Conference held at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan, from 23 to 27 September 2026. The conference brought together scholars, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from across Asia and beyond to discuss contemporary challenges and opportunities facing societies in the region.

UGM was represented by Prof. Dr. Wening Udasmoro, Dr. Aprillia Firmonasari, and Dr. Merry Andriani from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, who participated in a range of academic and networking activities throughout the conference. Their involvement contributed to scholarly discussions on issues affecting Asia and the Global South while strengthening partnerships between UGM and international institutions. Prof. Dr. Wening Udasmoro also serves as the Hub Leader for UGM in the academic cooperative project among Association for Asian Studies (AAS), Cultivating the Humanities and Social Sciences and Supporting Underrepresented Scholars of Asia (CHSS), and Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM).

The conference featured an extensive program consisting of pre-conference workshops, panel presentations, roundtable discussions, exhibitions, cultural activities, and networking forums. Participants explored a wide range of topics, including migration, education, governance, gender studies, climate resilience, public health, cultural heritage, and regional cooperation. Through these sessions, attendees exchanged perspectives and research findings while identifying opportunities for future collaborative initiatives.

In addition to academic presentations, the conference emphasized intercultural engagement through exhibitions and cultural showcases that highlighted the diversity and dynamism of Asian societies. These activities provided participants with valuable opportunities to connect across disciplines and national boundaries. UGM’s participation in the conference reflects the university’s ongoing efforts to promote internationally engaged scholarship and foster meaningful partnerships that address global and regional challenges. The event also served as a platform for expanding academic networks and exploring collaborative research opportunities with institutions across Asia and beyond.

Building on the momentum generated in Lahore, Universitas Gadjah Mada will host a similar international workshop in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from 19 to 23 October 2026. The workshop is designed as an inclusive academic forum that welcomes participants from diverse disciplinary, institutional, cultural, and geographical backgrounds. In line with UGM’s commitment to social equality and inclusivity, the program will provide a platform for scholars, researchers, practitioners, and community representatives to engage in dialogue, share perspectives, and exchange knowledge on issues of societal relevance. Through this initiative, UGM seeks to foster an academic environment that values diversity, promotes equitable participation, and encourages cross-cultural and interdisciplinary engagement.

Through its participation in CHSS 2026 and its forthcoming role as host, UGM continues to demonstrate its commitment to advancing impactful research, fostering international dialogue, and contributing to the development of inclusive and sustainable solutions to contemporary global challenges. For Universitas Gadjah Mada, these engagements represent not only opportunities for scholarly exchange but also strategic efforts to strengthen the university’s position as a leading institution in facilitating regional and global academic collaboration.

Yogyakarta — The Master’s Program in Literary Studies at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), held the 2026 Literary Camp with Nature at Pondok A. Salam, Kalimasada, from August 14 to 15. Conceived as a community-oriented and collaborative initiative, the camp brought together writers and literary enthusiasts in an informal setting while inviting them to reflect on what literature means—and what it can do—in everyday life.

The camp was intentionally modest and non-commercial. For Prof. Dr. Aprinus Salam, M.Hum., Head of UGM’s Master’s Program in Literary Studies and one of the event’s facilitators, this simplicity was part of the point. At its heart, he argues, literature should help people remain independent and hold on to their sense of humanity.

“What matters in literature, including an event like this Literary Camp, is the effort to preserve independence and uphold our character. And perhaps the chances of failing are greater.”

For Aprinus, independence is never easy to maintain. Throughout its history, literature has often occupied a distinctive position in relation to political and economic power, as well as to social and cultural structures built on hierarchy and inequality.

Literature, he suggests, has a critical responsibility: to examine the world we inhabit and distinguish what has been compromised from what remains worth defending.

“Ethically and aesthetically, literature is a continuing effort to discern what in life has been corrupted and what ought to be defended.”

This perspective helps explain the spirit behind the Literary Camp. It was not conceived as a commercial event, nor as a gathering defined by elaborate facilities. Instead, it sought to create a space where people could meet, exchange ideas, and reconnect through literature.

Aprinus acknowledges that maintaining independence is a difficult undertaking and that failure is always a real possibility. Independent initiatives, he observes, are becoming increasingly difficult to sustain, particularly in a society where many people live under significant constraints and have had few opportunities to cultivate self-reliance.

For him, however, literature’s concern with independence goes hand in hand with something deeper: preserving the human capacity for empathy, integrity, and conscience.

“Historically, literature has also been a space for reaffirming our essential humanity. It is a space where we struggle to preserve what is genuine in being human. Literature is one way of keeping our conscience alive.”

Participants in the 2026 Literary Camp were selected through a literary curation process. Applicants were asked to submit either at least one short story or five poems. Around 40 percent of the submissions—roughly 40 participants—were ultimately selected.

Their works will be compiled into an anthology of short stories and poetry. Initially, the anthology will be produced as a photocopied edition according to the number of copies needed. If the collection proves worthy of further development, the organizers plan to pursue an ISBN for a subsequent edition.

In this sense, the Literary Camp was more than a gathering. It brought together several dimensions of literary life—writing, reading, curation, discussion, and exchange—within an intentionally modest setting.

The program began on Friday afternoon with the arrival of participants and the formation of groups, followed by communal prayer and a briefing. The afternoon unfolded informally, with introductions, conversations, walks, light exercise, and time spent exploring the gardens around Kalimasada. As evening fell, participants gathered to watch the sunset before beginning the main evening program.

After dinner came Literary Oration, featuring Muhammad Lutfi Dwi Kurniawan and Rini Febriani Hauri, followed by a reading of Curatorial Notes. The evening continued with a relaxed conversation with writer Mahfud Ikhwan, titled Unggunan Cerita, before moving into poetry and short-story readings.

The night eventually gave way to rest, and the program resumed on Saturday morning with dawn prayers, a morning walk, coffee and tea, breakfast, a group photograph, and preparations for departure.

For Aprinus, the significance of the camp lies partly in its brevity. The event lasted only about 18 hours, but even such a short encounter can offer a temporary space in which participants attempt to live out the values they associate with literature.

Yet he is careful not to romanticize the experience. The real test, he suggests, begins after everyone leaves.

“The Literary Camp is one example. During those hours, it may seem that we are trying to preserve our independence and hold on to our humanity. But unfortunately, it lasts only 18 hours.”

Once the camp is over, participants return to their separate lives. The temporary community dissolves, and each person must once again negotiate the pressures of everyday existence.

“After the Literary Camp, we have to struggle on our own again—caught up in noisy political routines, anxious economic pressures, and a social and cultural routine that can become tedious.”

Seen in this light, the camp is not an escape from reality so much as a brief interruption of it. It offers participants a chance to step away from the noise, even momentarily, and to read, write, talk, listen, and reflect.

The limited facilities at Pondok A. Salam are part of that experience. The camp does not promise comfort or convenience. Participants share simple spaces, adjust to limited resources, exchange stories, and learn to take responsibility for their own needs.

That simplicity also reinforces the event’s broader ethos: literature does not necessarily require elaborate infrastructure to create meaningful encounters.

With a relatively full schedule, participants were expected to respect time and remain attentive to one another. But discipline was not meant to undermine the camp’s convivial spirit. On the contrary, the organizers hoped that the event would be a joyful occasion—a place where literature could be experienced rather than merely talked about.

Ultimately, as Aprinus Salam suggests, literature is about more than texts, literary technique, or aesthetics. It is also about the ongoing struggle to preserve something more fundamental: our independence, our humanity, and our conscience.

 

Author: Khotibul Umam

Yogyakarta — Ramayda Akmal, an author and lecturer at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), invited the public to revisit the ideas of Ariel Heryanto, Professor Emeritus at Monash University, during a discussion titled Ramayda Akmal Reads Ariel Heryanto, held at the Soegondo Auditorium, 7th Floor of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM, on Monday (June 29), from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Moderated by Giandra Febrian, a graduate student in UGM’s Master’s Program in Literature, the event featured Ariel Heryanto as the keynote speaker. The discussion centered on two of his books, Huruf demi Huruf (Letter by Letter) and Nasib Publik dalam Republik (The Fate of the Public in the Republic), inviting participants to explore contemporary social, political, and cultural issues in Indonesia through these works.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Aprinus Salam, Head of UGM’s Master’s Program in Literature, reflected on his long intellectual journey with Ariel Heryanto. He also shared several archival photographs documenting their years of friendship, offering both a nostalgic recollection and a tribute to Ariel’s contributions to Indonesian scholarship.

Opening her presentation, Ramayda described Huruf demi Huruf as a collection of essays that encapsulates many of the most pressing issues confronting contemporary Indonesia. According to her, Ariel’s writings do more than address significant social and political questions—they encourage readers to reexamine assumptions that are often taken for granted. These include the notion of elections as a “democratic celebration,” the idea of the middle class, interpretations of the May 1998 mass rapes as a language of power rather than merely racial violence, and the extent to which Indonesia’s post-independence social structure continues to reflect the colonial legacy of the Dutch East Indies.

Ramayda also highlighted Ariel Heryanto’s distinctive intellectual approach, which does not rely exclusively on Western theoretical frameworks. Instead, many of his essays seek to understand Asian societies through the experiences, histories, knowledge, and intellectual traditions produced by fellow Asian societies—an approach often referred to as South–South knowledge exchange. In her reading, Ariel consistently situates Indonesian culture within its broader relationships with other Asian societies.

She further argued that one of Ariel’s greatest strengths lies in his ability to examine the increasingly complex relationship between popular culture, capitalism, and power. According to Ramayda, the rise of digital media has created various forms of alternative cultural production that appear open and inclusive while remaining embedded within capitalist structures.

“What makes Mas Ariel’s writings enduring is that they continue to invite new questions as the examples themselves become increasingly complex. Earlier, we discussed whether alternative literature belongs to pop culture or whether it should be understood as an alternative product. It is heavily facilitated by highly capitalist media. Although the space is remarkably diverse and inclusive—anyone can write and anyone can read—you still have to pay for the product. This makes the relationship between capitalism, popular culture, political power, and dominant forces even more complex,” Ramayda explained.

During the discussion, Ramayda also shared her personal appreciation for the essay “Huruf demi Huruf,” the title essay of the book. She described it as one of Ariel’s most memorable works because it begins with deeply personal childhood experiences before expanding into a broader reflection on Indonesia’s contemporary condition.

Meanwhile, Ariel Heryanto reflected on the question that has motivated his writing since around 1976. He explained that he has long been preoccupied with understanding why profound social inequality can persist within societies that nevertheless appear relatively stable, peaceful, and seemingly free of major upheaval.

The discussion became particularly lively when an audience member asked whether Indonesia might face national disintegration, referring to the title of Ariel’s book Nasib Publik dalam Republik. Responding to the question, Ariel argued that capitalism remains the most powerful force shaping the modern nation-state.

“In my view, the greatest force in the world today is capitalism—not radicalism, not separatism. Those forces certainly exist, but none surpasses capitalism. As long as a state operates within a capitalist system, it will endure—not only domestically but also internationally. In other words, nationalism is itself a product of, and serves the interests of, capitalism. The fate of a nation ultimately depends on whether it is constituted through a capitalist system,” Ariel said.

Through this discussion, the organizers hoped that both longtime readers and newcomers to Ariel Heryanto’s work would see the forum as an opportunity to critically engage with Indonesia’s contemporary challenges through the perspectives of literature, culture, and the social sciences.

The event concluded with a book-signing session by Ariel Heryanto. Many participants took the opportunity to have their books signed, take photographs, and engage in informal conversations with Ariel about the ideas discussed during the event. Their enthusiasm reflected the enduring interest in Ariel Heryanto’s works and intellectual contributions, which continue to offer relevant perspectives for understanding Indonesia’s contemporary social, political, and cultural issues.

 

Author: Khotibul Imam

An awareness of the inequalities in the production and dissemination of knowledge between the Global North and the Global South forms the basis for the development of the discourse on decoloniality within both academic and artistic spheres. This new awareness that reality is not universal but rather pluriverse has prompted academics and art practitioners to re-examine everyday life to develop a sensitivity to the roots of power imbalances that may otherwise go unnoticed. The latest issue of Lembaran Antropologi vol. 4 no. 2 explores the theme “Anthropology and Decolonialisation in Performance Studies and Art Criticism” and features Rachmi Diyah Larasati from the Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Global Change, University of Minnesota, as editor, inviting readers to engage and gain a deeper understanding of how art and performance now reflect anthropological critique in artistic practice.

This edition discusses artistic practice not merely from an artistic perspective, but also in terms of efforts to convey concerns and social critique regarding everyday social phenomena. Issues concerning narratives of governance, expression, and living spaces form the core of the contributions in this edition. Moving beyond artistic practice based on established standards or conventions, attention is also drawn to the figures who determine these standards. Articles by Chaterji & Loravianti and Pangastuti re-examine the conventions or standards of artistic practice in the MTQ competition and the trans-cultural experiment of ‘Swan Lake’ using gamelan instruments. The presence of standards or conventions as criteria for artistic evaluation must be re-examined: which narratives or values predominantly influence artistic judgement?

Turning to the aspect of dance as a symbolic embodiment that takes root in the human body, rich in meaning and social messages. The article by Sekar Sari and Listyorini demonstrates that dance or choreography conveys messages and expressions to highlight issues regarding care work and forms of resistance against the narrative of global capitalism embedded in daily life. The final topic in this edition discusses the living spaces of folk arts such as Reog Ponorogo (Nurdiyanto, Amrullah, Mahadewa) and Horeg (Nursilah, Gietty, Setyani, Yoesoef). Both forms of folk art, which were originally performed in daily life through communal spaces, are now increasingly being featured in festivals, indicating the commodification of folk art as part of the tourism industry. Does this shift from communal activity to institutionalised practice create a space for negotiation between artists and audiences? To explore this discourse further, please access this edition via the following link: https://journal.ugm.ac.id/v3/LA/issue/view/916

[Okky Chandra Baskoro]

Yogyakarta, May 7, 2026 – Professor Dr. Aris Munandar, M.Hum. was officially inaugurated as a Professor of English Pragmatics at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). The inauguration ceremony took place at the UGM Main Building on Thursday, May 7, 2026. In his inaugural speech, Prof. Aris emphasized the importance of developing English pragmatic competence oriented toward linguistic diversity in Indonesia.

Prof. Aris explained that English now serves as a crucial global communication tool for economic growth and education systems. Based on the concept of World Englishes, the diversity of the English language is divided into three circles. Indonesia falls into the expanding circle category. This position makes Indonesia a receiver of English norms from native-speaking countries, or the inner circle.

Indonesians learn English as a foreign language without a historical background of British colonialism. This condition creates unique challenges and characteristics. The characteristics of the English spoken by Indonesians are indirectly influenced by both the national language and regional languages. One of the most striking differences is seen in the application of politeness principles, which often differ from native speaker norms.

Today, intensive English communication occurs among speakers from developing nations. Prof. Aris gave an example of common interactions within the UGM campus environment between international students from Asia and Africa and the local academic community.

“As English has become an international lingua franca and the number of speakers in expanding circle countries continues to grow, there is a wide possibility of English communication occurring among fellow speakers from these expanding circle nations,” explained Prof. Aris during his speech.

Therefore, Prof. Aris believes that pragmatic competence with a multilingual orientation must be continuously developed. This approach aims to prevent society from adopting a monolingual view that could potentially generate negative perceptions of English variations in developing countries. He asserted that the diversity of English is an inevitable linguistic reality.

This condition has practical implications for language proficiency evaluations, such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Such standardized tests are still considered biased because they heavily prioritize native speaker norms. As a solution, Prof. Aris proposed adjustments to local evaluation instruments. The Academic English Proficiency Test (AcEPT) at UGM needs to be designed as a relevant benchmark for speakers in Indonesia. This test should incorporate materials that reflect the local realities of Indonesian speakers without violating generally agreed-upon linguistic standards.

An inclusive understanding of English language diversity aligns with efforts to create an equitable and adaptive education system. Through a multilingual approach, cross-border interactions involving diverse cultural backgrounds can run harmoniously. Ultimately, this step supports the creation of an equal and inclusive global order, where every individual receives equal respect without losing their local identity roots. This resonates with UGM’s vision to remain deeply rooted in local wisdom while achieving global respect.

[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]