Three female students from NCCU Taiwan went on a trip to Surabaya: Lina, Juleha and Bela. They set off from Yogyakarta on Friday, 31 July 2026, travelling on the Sancaka train. The journey took four hours, and what caught their attention most was the bustling station. They were amazed by the sheer number of food stalls inside the station.

During their train journey, they ordered packed lunches containing chicken, eggs and sweetcorn. “It tasted good, but it was a bit expensive,” said Lina. They also noticed how spotlessly clean the train carriages were.

When they arrived in Surabaya, Mrs Ani, their teacher who had previously taught at NCCU, came to collect them. She then took them on a tour of the city of Surabaya.

The first place they visited was the university, where Mrs Ani works. On the way, they noticed that the roads in Surabaya were wider than those in Yogyakarta, and there were fewer motorbikes. During the journey, they also saw a great many high-rise buildings and luxurious houses. When they arrived at Airlangga University, they were amazed by the beautiful scenery there. There was a large lake and trees, creating a pleasant atmosphere.

After wandering around for a few minutes, they went on to have lunch at Weby Heritage. They ordered nasi weby, the special mixed rice dish, and soto Betawi. The food at this restaurant was absolutely delicious and tended to be saltier than the food in Yogyakarta.

After that, they went to the zoo. There were lots of unique animals there, such as Komodo dragons, orangutans and Sumatran tigers. However, they only saw the Komodo dragons, which looked lazy and listless.

Author: Lina
Editor: Humas FIB, Zaidan Abdurrahman

The Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, has sent seven students to participate in the 2026 Integrated Archaeological Research of Indonesia (Penelitian Arkeologi Terpadu Indonesia/PATI), organized by the Arsari Djojohadikusumo Foundation (YAD) in collaboration with six archaeology study programs across Indonesia. The program, which will be held from 27 July to 8 August 2026 in Manyarejo Village, the Sangiran Early Man Cultural Heritage Site, Sragen, Central Java, serves as a field-learning and collaborative research program for archaeology students from universities across Indonesia.

Representing the UGM Department of Archaeology are Agatha Kiara Christy and Muhammad Miftah Syafiq in the Archaeology stream, Zeldera Tahani Sifa, Helena Ken Grace Natalie, and Galih Nugroho in the Museum stream, as well as Nur Sulistyaningsih and Sarah Jasmine Kahiking in the Conservation stream. Throughout the program, the students will be accompanied by Dr. Mahirta, M.A., Dr. Fahmi Prihantoro, S.S., M.A., and Dr. Sektiadi, S.S., M.Hum. as academic supervisors from Universitas Gadjah Mada.

Carrying the theme “Unearthing the Cultural Horizon of Sangiran’s Past,” PATI 2026 will focus on rescue excavations, conservation, and the development of an open-air museum model and community-based site management. Through this program, the students are expected to gain hands-on field experience, expand their academic network with archaeology students from other universities, and further strengthen their knowledge and skills in archaeological research and cultural heritage preservation.

Author : Muhammad Irsyad
Photo Credits : Evelyn Warasti

The Department of Archaeology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Preservation Office (Balai Pelestarian Kebudayaan/BPK) of East Java Region, conducted an excavation field training at the Sentonorejo Site, Trowulan, Mojokerto, East Java. The program was held over seven days as part of an effort to develop students’ field research skills in archaeology. Throughout the activity, students were supervised by Drs. Musadad, M.Hum. and Dwi Pradnyawan, S.S., M.A. as course instructors. In addition to the excavation work, the program included site orientation and discussion sessions led by Drs. J.S.E. Yuwono, M.Sc., a geoarchaeology expert, and Dr. Eko Yulianto, a geology expert.

The excavation training served as a practical learning experience that strengthened students’ understanding of archaeological research methods while providing an opportunity to apply the knowledge they had gained in the classroom. Besides learning excavation techniques, students were also trained in data recording, archaeological documentation, and the proper handling of findings according to archaeological standards. Through this collaboration, the Department of Archaeology at Universitas Gadjah Mada demonstrated its commitment to enhancing students’ academic competencies and field experience while strengthening its partnership with the Cultural Heritage Preservation Office of East Java Region in archaeological research and cultural heritage preservation.

Author: Jovinka Aldinova Kiranamurti
Photo Credits: Irkam Asroni dan Josephine Kirana Nareswari

Yogyakarta, July 17, 2026 — On Friday, July 17, 2026, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at UGM held an informational session on IoT scales as part of the 2026 UGM Sustainability Campus Action program. The event took place in the Multimedia Room of the Margono Building and featured Dr. Ir. Thomas Oka Pratama, S.T., M.Eng., IPP, from UGM’s Sensor and Controlled Systems Laboratory. This session served as training for educational support staff on managing the faculty’s waste using IoT scales.

IoT scales are devices that measure the weight of waste generated at collection points (pick-up points) in real time, integrated with the Internet of Things (IoT) system. The weight data is used for digital monitoring, evaluation, and planning of waste management policies. During the session, participants were instructed on how to use the IoT scales to manage waste generation. FIB support staff were also asked to practice using the IoT scales.

Through the implementation of IoT scales, FIB UGM aims to strengthen a waste management system that is more accurate, measurable, and data-driven. The use of this technology is expected to enhance the capacity of support staff to support sustainable waste management while also contributing to UGM’s Sustainability Campus Action 2026 commitment. This initiative aligns with efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs point 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and also supports SDGs point 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities and SDGs point 13: Climate Action.

[Humas FIB, Maylafaizza Nafisha Zifa]

In commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), the Undergraduate Program in Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, organized an International Workshop entitled Rereading Wayang: Remembering the Past, Looking Toward the Future on Thursday (9/7/2026). The event invited academics, students, and the general public to revisit the art of wayang, not only as a cultural heritage of the past but also as a tradition that continues to develop and remains relevant in responding to present and future challenges.

To comprehensively explore the theme, the workshop featured three speakers with expertise in their respective fields: Prof. Matthew Isaac Cohen, Ph.D., Alan H. Feinstein, Ph.D., and Dr. G.R. Lono Lastoro Simatupang, M.A. The discussion was moderated by Zakariya Pamuji Aminullah, S.S., M.A.

The event commenced at 09.00 WIB with opening remarks by Dr. Rudy Wiratama, S.I.P., M.A., Chair of the Organizing Committee, followed by remarks from Dr. Mimi Savitri, M.A., Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation, and Alumni of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM. Following the opening session, the international workshop officially began.

As the first speaker, Prof. Matthew Isaac Cohen, Ph.D., discussed the life of wayang art in the virtual sphere, particularly its development, which became increasingly visible during the pandemic. According to him, the presence of wayang art in the digital world had actually begun long before the pandemic through live-streamed wayang kulit performances. “The life of wayang art in the virtual world had actually begun before the pandemic era, with the emergence of live-streamed wayang kulit performances,” he explained. He further elaborated that the existence of wayang in the virtual sphere has continued to transform through various forms of innovation, ranging from the establishment of communities such as Posko Dalang Nusantara, the publication of the book #Dalang Goes to Twitter, the emergence of Wayang Jemblung during the pandemic, to the development of wayang in the form of artificial intelligence (AI)-based animation.

The second speaker, Alan H. Feinstein, Ph.D., presented the topic of the historiography and documentation of Javanese wayang stories. He explained that efforts to document wayang stories have been carried out since the colonial period, both through documentation projects of lakon carangan and through the collection of various ancient manuscript sources. According to him, wayang can be studied from various scholarly perspectives; therefore, documenting facts, data, documents, and various other forms of evidence is essential. This is necessary because wayang performances are ephemeral and leave no trace once the puppeteer concludes the performance.

In the final session, Dr. G.R. Lono Lastoro Simatupang, M.A., discussed the existence of women in wayang performing arts from the perspectives of female puppeteers, wayang characters, women’s representation, and the stories performed. He explained that women’s participation in the world of wayang has shown positive development, although it still requires further strengthening. “I recommend increasing the number of female puppeteers, enhancing women’s skills in wayang performing arts, and creating lakon carangan that are in accordance with contemporary developments,” he stated.

Through this workshop, Javanese wayang was understood not only as a performing art but also as a reflection of continuously evolving social and cultural dynamics. The presentations demonstrated that the existence of wayang has always been intertwined with the context of its era while continuing to transform without losing the cultural values that form its foundation. In line with the theme Rereading Wayang: Remembering the Past, Looking Toward the Future, the workshop demonstrated that the preservation of wayang is carried out not only through the transmission of tradition but also through documentation, critical reinterpretation, and various innovations that maintain its relevance amid contemporary developments.

Author: Prodi Bahasa, Sastra dan Budaya Jawa