Yogyakarta, September 11, 2024 – Room S709 Soegondo Building 7th Floor Faculty of Cultural Sciences Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) was filled with academics, students, and the general public who enthusiastically attended the national seminar entitled “Palestine: From Nakba to Tufan Al-Aqsa” on Wednesday, September 11, 2024. The seminar was held to celebrate the retirement of Dr. Hindun, M.Hum., an expert in language, communication, and culture who has devoted herself for many years at UGM.

Dr. Hindun, M.Hum. is a lecturer at Faculty of Humanities UGM with specialization in Arabic literature, communication, and culture. She completed her master’s degree at the Faculty of Humanities UGM with a thesis on Emha Ainun Nadjib’s Asmaul Husna poems and Al-Ghazali’s “Al-Maqshadul-Asna”. In 2016, he earned his doctorate at the Department of Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM with a thesis entitled “Palestinian Arab Resistance in the Poetry of Maḥmūd Darwīsh: A Study of Adab al-Muqāwamah al-Ayyūbī.”

The seminar, hosted by Dr. Hindun, presented an in-depth discussion on Palestinian history and literature, focusing on two major events that shaped the narrative of the Palestinian struggle. “Nakba” refers to the tragedy of the expulsion and suffering of the Palestinian people in 1948, and ‘Tufan Al-Aqsa,’ a term used to describe the current situation in the region.

With the end of the seminar, the Faculty of Humanities UGM affirmed its commitment to continue supporting research and studies relevant to global issues, including the Palestinian conflict and literature. The seminar was also a moment of reflection and appreciation for the dedication of Dr. Hindun who has made great contributions in the academic and research fields over the years.

On September 5, 2024, a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) took place in the Conference Room 1 of the Dean’s Building of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). This event was held as part of an effort to develop an online adaptive Arabic language test instrument based on ACTFL theory using CBT (Computer-Based Testing) at Darussalam Gontor University.

The researchers from Universitas Darussalam Gontor who attended this event were Dr. Ihwan Mahmudi, Dr. Ahmad Saifulloh, Dr. Moh. Ismail, and Dr. Izzul Fatawi. They explained the linguistic test development plan that they designed to improve the quality of Arabic language teaching through an adaptive testing approach.

The event was also attended by lecturers from the Faculty of Humanities UGM who gave a warm welcome to the researchers. The discussion focused on sharing information and experiences regarding the different types of language tests that have been implemented at the Faculty of Humanities UGM. The UGM lecturers provided valuable guidance and insights on how to develop and implement effective language tests, as well as the challenges that may be faced in the process.

This collaboration between Universitas Darussalam Gontor and the UGM Faculty of Cultural Sciences is expected to produce better test instruments, which not only measure Arabic language proficiency effectively but also adapt to the needs and latest technological developments in language education. 

This activity is an important step forward in efforts to improve the quality of Arabic language learning and is expected to be a model for other institutions in the development of technology-based language tests.

Sleman, 4 September 2024 – The Linguistics Family of Gadjah Mada (Kalingga) held their routine agenda, a badminton match, at GOR Klebengan, Sleman-Yogyakarta. This event was held to strengthen friendship and cooperation between students of the Master of Linguistics Study Programme at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM). This enthusiastic event was also attended by international students from Indonesian Language and Culture Learning Services (INCULS) FIB UGM. Their presence added to the excitement of the event and expanded the opportunity to build closer relationships with fellow students from different backgrounds.

The badminton match was not only a sporting event, but also a platform to build togetherness and enhance cooperation among Kalingga members. Through this activity, it is hoped that the relationship will become closer and the cooperation in academic and non-academic fields will be more solid. Kalingga hopes that activities like this can continue to be held regularly, as part of an effort to strengthen friendship and support the academic and social development of students in the Faculty of Arts UGM.

The Faculty of Cultural Sciences Universitas Gadjah Mada held a Research Progress Seminar for the Professor Scheme on 4 September 2024. This seminar was held online and open to all FIB UGM academic community, with the aim of monitoring and advancing the research process of Professors in this faculty.

The Professor Research Scheme is a stimulus programme designed to improve the quality and quantity of research publications. The programme aims to assist Professors in finalising their scientific papers to be ready for publication, either as books with ISBN or articles in international journals. To achieve this goal, all academic potential at FIB UGM is optimised through various integrated programmes supported by strict quality assurance mechanisms.

This year, the professors participating in the research scheme are:

• Dr I Dewa Putu Wijana, S.U., M.A. with research entitled ‘Literary Vocabularies in Indonesia.’
• Dr Faruk, S.U. who presented research entitled ‘Post-Classical Naratology: Theories and Applications.’
• Dr Bambang Hudayana, M.A. with research titled ‘Money Politics Culture in the 2024 Presidential Election: A Case Study in Dusun Community, Yogyakarta Special Region.’

Each presentation session was followed by an interactive discussion involving seminar participants. The event aimed to provide constructive feedback and facilitate the exchange of ideas between researchers and the audience. The Professors’ Scheme Research Progress Seminar is expected to continue to support professors in achieving quality publication targets and strengthen the position of the Faculty of Humanities UGM in the international academic world.

Saturday, August 31, 2024 Faculty of Cultural Sciences together with Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Seoul organized the opening of King Sejong Institute (KSI) Korean language course. The opening of the KSI class this period was held at CGV Pakuwon Yogyakarta. Attended by course participants and KSI managers, this opening went very well and was greeted with enthusiasm. The event began with opening remarks by Suray Agung Nugroho, S.S., M.A., Ph.D., as the chief manager of KSI Indonesia. The next agenda was the most awaited by every participant of this period’s KSI class opening, which was watching a movie.

In collaboration with CGV Pakuwon Yogyakarta, a Korean movie titled “Revolver” was shown. This action movie with a criminal theme tells about the journey of a woman who is trapped in a prison scheme to get some money in return. Directed by Oh Seung-uk, the movie managed to impress the participants of the King Sejong Institute (KSI) Korean language course opening. Hopefully, this event will motivate the participants of the KSI course to achieve brilliant achievements in the field of Korean language and literature.