The Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), hosted the opening of the summer course program held at the University Club UGM. This program is a collaboration between UGM, Victoria University (VU), and the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta (ISI). The event took place on Monday, July 8, 2024, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM WIB.

The event began with a warm welcome from Dr. Mimi Savitri, M.A., the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at UGM. In her speech, Dr. Mimi expressed her hope that this program would serve as a platform for sharing knowledge, skills, and culture among students from the three universities.

Following Dr. Mimi’s remarks, the event continued with a presentation from representatives of Victoria University. They provided an overview of the film project that participants will work on during the program. This presentation was intended to inspire and guide participants in developing their creative ideas.

Next, representatives from ISI Yogyakarta delivered a presentation on the technical aspects of filmmaking. This presentation covered various technical aspects such as shooting, editing, and production. With this technical briefing, participants were expected to understand and master the skills required in the filmmaking process.

After the presentations, there was a traditional dance performance by Sastra Oebah featuring the Birawa Girjita dance. All participants were captivated by the performance.

The event concluded with a discussion and a communal meal held in a warm and friendly atmosphere. This activity provided an opportunity for participants to get to know each other and discuss their projects informally. Additionally, the communal meal served as a moment to strengthen the relationships among students from the three universities.

In this program, participants from UGM, VU, and ISI were divided into several groups. Each group will collaborate to produce a short film as the output of this activity. Through this collaboration, students are expected to develop practical skills in filmmaking while enriching their cultural and academic insights.

This summer course program is expected to serve as a tangible example of successful and sustainable international collaboration, providing significant benefits for all participants and the institutions involved.

In June 2024, Leni, an English Literature student from the 2020 batch at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), embarked on a journey that enriched her experiences through the Global Experience (GEx) program organized by the National University of Singapore (NUS).

This program held from June 2nd to 28th, 2024, with the aim of introducing NUS students to the rich cultural heritage of Indonesia through visits to creative artists in Bandung and Yogyakarta. In Bandung, the activities took place at various locations such as Navetta, Dago Pojok, Cibunut Creative Village, and Omah Budaya Cigondewah. In Yogyakarta, they visited places like IVAA, Cemeti Art Institute, Street Art Tour, and Heri Dono Studio. The program consisted of one professor from NUS, one student assistant from NUS, 15 NUS students, and two student assistants from UGM. Leni was lucky to receive this valuable opportunity.

Leni joined the program after meeting Prof. Kiven during the 2023 Cultural Exchange, an annual collaboration between the UGM English Literature Program and NUS. Before the Cultural Exchange began, Leni was asked to assist three professors from NUS, including Prof. Kiven, in their preliminary survey in Yogyakarta. During the survey, they visited the Tactic Plastic community, a group of artists who create art from plastic waste. A few months later, UGM students who participated in the Cultural Exchange had the chance to visit Singapore and study at NUS, with one of the lectures delivered by Prof. Kiven. During this time, Prof. Kiven invited Leni to join as a fixer or liaison to help communicate with the artists in Yogyakarta for the GEx Bandung-Jogja program.

While working with the NUS team, Leni experienced a high level of professionalism. They highly valued punctuality, adhered to the schedule, and had detailed and clear work contracts. Prof. Kiven and the NUS students left a very positive impression on Leni due to their appreciative, caring, and understanding attitudes, and they never judged her shortcomings. From this experience, Leni gained many valuable lessons and the opportunity to build and strengthen her international network.

Through this program, Leni learned that seemingly ordinary things around her, such as artists, actually play a significant role in society. Art as a medium of expression often becomes an effective tool to deliver social issues. Moreover, in Singapore, artists are not as free as in Indonesia due to many regulations that restrict them, making the art in Indonesia feel more honest. This realization made Leni appreciate the freedom that can still be enjoyed in Indonesia, a great blessing often taken for granted.

Leni strongly encourages her fellow students to join and engage with international communities. She believes that such involvement can enrich one’s perspective on social phenomenas around us. Although geographically close, Singapore and Indonesia have culturally different habits and traditions. In conclusion, Leni believes that being involved in international communities can provide valuable insights that serve as a crucial life resource.

Photo 1: Leni with NUS Students at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM

The Association of Middle Eastern Cultural Studies Graduate Students at Universitas Gadjah Mada (IMABTA UGM) together with the Indonesian Students Association for the Middle East and Africa (PPIDK Timtengka) successfully organized the KBTT Expo: Sharing Session on Thursday, June 13, 2024, at 16:00 online. The event featured two speakers: Prof. Dr. Sangidu, M.Hum., Head of the Intercultural Department at UGM, and Dr. Mahmudah, M.Hum., Secretary of the Intercultural Department at UGM. Participants included students from Indonesian universities and several universities in the Middle East, namely Egypt and South Africa. They were very enthusiastic about the event, as evidenced by the many questions asked during the Q&A session.

The goal of the KBTT UGM Expo: Sharing Session was to provide detailed information and understanding to students, both in Indonesia and the Middle East, regarding the application process, courses in the KBTT UGM Master’s program, and scholarship opportunities. Prof. Sangidu mentioned that the requirements and application procedures can be accessed through the website um.ugm.ac.id. The KBTT UGM Master’s program has collaborated with several universities in Egypt, giving students the opportunity to participate in student exchanges with institutions such as Suez Canal University, Ain Shams University, and Benha University. Regarding the courses, Dr. Mahmudah presented the graduate profiles and research prospects in KBTT UGM. In the future, students in the program will not be limited to literary or linguistic studies but can also engage in intercultural studies, examining culture through the disciplines of anthropology, philosophy, or Islamic studies.

On Monday, May 27, 2024, the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program held a field lecture in the framework of the Codicology course. This activity was held at Widyabudaya Library of Keraton Ngayogyakarta and Widyapustaka Library of Pura Pakualaman. The participants of this activity were students participating in the 2024 Kodikology course, guided by Dr. Sri Ratna Saktimulya, M.Hum., as the lecturer of the course.

In this field study, students had the opportunity to see and learn firsthand about manuscripts, archives, and preservation efforts. The first location visited was Widyabudaya of Keraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat. Here, students were first entertained with warm tea drinks typical of the Keraton Yogyakarta. After that, they were divided into four groups and guided by the abdi dalem to observe in depth the collection of manuscripts, archives, and the restoration process.

The second location visited was the Widyapustaka Library of Pura Pakualaman. In this place, the participants were treated to jamu beras kencur and some traditional dishes. After enjoying the meal, the participants were given the opportunity to see the manuscript and archive collections. They also listened to explanations from librarians about the condition, aspects, and preservation of the manuscripts.

The implementation of this field study went well and smoothly. The students were very enthusiastic, as seen from their high curiosity about various manuscript and archive collections, as well as the stages of revitalization. The purpose of this activity is as a preservation event in the form of introducing Indonesian culture, especially Javanese culture, to the younger generation. Thus, it is hoped that the love for the nation’s culture in the younger generation will continue to grow and can be realized in real efforts to keep nguri-uri (preserve) and ngurip-urip (revive) the nation’s identity.

The existence of various manuscripts and archives is a source of historical traces as well as a mirror of the cultural life of their time. Therefore, preserving historical evidence and extracting information from it needs to be done as a step to understanding the form of culture, knowledge, history, and glory of the archipelago. In addition, synergy from various parties is needed to realize this. This is in line with the fourth and seventeenth points of the Sustainable Development Goals, namely presenting and improving the quality of education and cooperation between partners to achieve goals.