YOGYAKARTA – Learning a foreign language does not always have to begin with textbooks and classrooms. This was the experience of Shang Narendra, a 2022 student of Arabic Literature at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), who became the university’s sole representative in the 2026 Mandarin Summer Camp Short Term Study Program in Taiwan. The program, subsidized by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education, was held at Da Yeh University (大葉大學) in Changhua, Taiwan, from July 22 to August 4, 2026.

Organized through the Official Taiwan Education Center Indonesia in collaboration with universities in Taiwan, the program brought together international students to learn Mandarin while gaining firsthand exposure to Taiwanese culture. For Shang Narendra, who is often called Adam, the opportunity stemmed from his desire to learn a foreign language directly in an environment where it is spoken. As an Arabic Literature student, he is accustomed to viewing language not only through its structure and vocabulary but also through the culture, society, and context in which it is used.

During the program, participants attended Mandarin classes in the morning and took part in various cultural activities in the afternoon. Upon arriving at Da Yeh University, participants first took the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL) to assess their Mandarin proficiency and determine their class placement. Classroom learning was complemented by hands-on activities, including cooking, handicrafts, aromatherapy, fabric painting, traditional Chinese calligraphy, and making a Taiwanese-style mosquito repellent spray.

The cross-cultural experience also extended into everyday life in the dormitory. Participants from different universities and countries lived together, creating opportunities to communicate in various languages, particularly English and Mandarin. Adam occasionally used Google Translate when language barriers interrupted conversations. He also interacted directly with local residents while purchasing daily necessities. Through these experiences, he learned that the courage to communicate and the ability to adapt can be just as important as mastering grammar.

One of Adam’s most memorable experiences was the final project, which involved a role-play performed with a group of six students from different backgrounds. Within a relatively short period, Adam and his group members had to use Mandarin to discuss ideas, divide tasks, and prepare their performance. The program also took participants to Sun Moon Lake in Nantou, giving them an opportunity to explore another side of Taiwan beyond the university campus.

For Adam, learning Mandarin in Taiwan also broadened his perspective as an Arabic Literature student. He came to see more clearly that language learning cannot be separated from the culture and society of its speakers. The experience also strengthened his listening and speaking skills, contextual understanding, and ability to adapt to a new environment. Learning another language gave him a new perspective on understanding Arabic more broadly, beyond the theories he studies in the classroom.

The summer course also provided Adam with an opportunity to step outside his comfort zone. He found that students of Arabic Literature can explore other languages and cultures without leaving behind the field they are studying. By becoming familiar with more languages and societies, students can gain new perspectives on Arabic while preparing themselves to communicate and engage in increasingly multicultural environments.

Author : Indana Zulfa Maulida

The 2nd American Studies International Conference was held again at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM) on September 10–11, 2026. Organized by the American Studies Study Program, the conference carried the theme “Global America: Exploring Flows, Borders, and Transnational Exchanges”. Simply put, the theme examines America in relation to flows, borders, and cross-border exchanges.

In this conference, American Studies was not merely understood as the study of English language or American culture. The field serves as a multidisciplinary study covering culture, society, politics, technology, literature, environment, and America’s relations with the world. This was reflected in the diverse subthemes discussed, ranging from American Literature, American Transnational Culture, Politics in the US, Film and Media Studies, to Digital Lives and Virtual Realities.

The theme “Global America: Exploring Flows, Borders, and Transnational Exchanges” also highlights exchanges that extend beyond national boundaries. For example, ideas originating in America can spread to other countries and be implemented or adapted to local contexts. In this framework, America is seen not just as a nation, but as a part of broader global processes involving culture, migration, digital media, the environment, and various other forms of exchange.

One of the presenters, Anna M. Gade from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, United States, presented a paper titled “What Does a Data Center Look Like? American Studies and Political Ecology of a Global Digital Landscape”. The presentation explored data centers as integral components of the global digital landscape. It pointed out that the digital world relies on physical infrastructure: behind digital services lie physical components such as servers, electricity, cooling systems, buildings, and other supporting facilities.

Through these discussions, the conference demonstrated that American Studies is not confined to American culture or domestic society, but also examines how concepts and phenomena related to America interact with the global community. Thus, American Studies provides a platform to understand America from multiple perspectives and observe how these relationships evolve in a global context.

[Author: Humas FIB, Zaidan Abdurrahman]

The Indonesian Language and Literature Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University, in collaboration with the Art Conservation Program at ISI Yogyakarta, TU Wien (Austria), and the Yogyakarta Philosophical Axis Management Office (BPKSF), is organizing a workshop titled “From Tugu to the Krapyak Stage: Storytelling on Yogyakarta’s Philosophical Axis for Children” on September 1–2, 2026, in Room 709 of the Soegondo Building, FIB UGM.

The workshop featured Aryanto Hendro, Head of the Yogyakarta Philosophical Axis Management Office; Ulrike Herbig from TU Wien, Austria; Prima Dona Hapsari, Chair of the Art Conservation Program at ISI Yogyakarta; Nano Warsono from the Art Conservation Program at ISI Yogyakarta; and Novi Siti Kussuji Indrastuti, Chair of the Indonesian Language and Literature Program at FIB UGM.

In his presentation on “The Dynamics of Yogyakarta’s Philosophical Axis,” Aryanto Hendro encouraged participants to understand the Philosophical Axis of Yogyakarta not merely as a series of buildings or urban landmarks. The axis, which stretches from Tugu, the Yogyakarta Palace, to Panggung Krapyak, holds values, history, and philosophy that are important to recognize and pass on to future generations.

Meanwhile, Novi Siti Kussuji Indrastuti, through her session titled “Storytelling on the Philosophical Axis of Yogyakarta for Children,” emphasized the importance of presenting cultural heritage in a way that resonates with children’s worlds. Complex philosophical values can be translated into vivid stories through characters, events, dialogue, games, illustrations, wayang or puppets, songs, and other creative activities. In this way, children not only receive information about the Philosophical Axis but are also invited to experience, imagine, and reinterpret this cultural heritage through their own perspectives.

This workshop also serves as a learning space for undergraduate and graduate students to develop their storytelling skills and apply them with children. Students are encouraged to transform their knowledge of the Philosophical Axis into stories that are communicative, imaginative, and enjoyable, while remaining grounded in the cultural values they embody.

The presence of speakers from various fields and institutions reinforces the interdisciplinary and cross-cultural nature of this workshop. Collaboration between language and literary studies, art conservation, cultural heritage management, and international perspectives opens up new possibilities for introducing the Philosophical Axis to the younger generation.

Through this workshop, storytelling becomes more than just the act of telling stories. Stories become a bridge connecting space, history, philosophy, creativity, and the world of children. From Tugu to the Krapyak Stage, cultural heritage is not merely remembered as a relic of the past but is brought to life through stories to grow alongside future generations. This initiative supports SDG 4 (Quality Education) through creative learning that introduces historical and cultural values to children. Efforts to bring the Yogyakarta Philosophical Axis to life through storytelling are also in line with SDG 11.4, which aims to strengthen the protection and preservation of cultural heritage. Inter-institutional and cross-national collaboration also reflects SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Author: Indonesian Language and Literature

Yogyakarta, September 3, 2026 — The S1 Archaeology Study Program, Universitas Gadjah Mada, held “LinkedIn Ready: Build Your Professional Presence Before You Graduate” on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at the Auditorium, Soegondo Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM. The event was aimed at S1 Archaeology students, particularly those from the 2023 and 2024 cohorts, as part of the program’s efforts to prepare students for the professional world.

The workshop featured Mohammad Genta Mahardika, S.E., M.B.A., Lecturer at the Department of Economics and Business, Vocational College, UGM, as the speaker. Designed as a practical career workshop using a Build Along Workshop approach, the event enabled participants not only to learn about LinkedIn but also to directly build and optimize their own profiles during the session.

The session introduced students to the importance of building a professional presence while still at university, particularly by presenting their experiences, competencies, interests, and achievements through LinkedIn. One of the key points emphasized was the importance of developing a clear professional identity through an effective profile, professional connections, and a professional photo.

The speaker also discussed strategies for creating a LinkedIn profile that effectively represents an individual, including setting student status, identifying career goals, developing a headline and About section, and selecting an appropriate profile and cover photo. Participants were encouraged to showcase their individual experiences and work, including academic assignments and projects, as a way to demonstrate their progress and competencies.

Beyond profile building, the workshop also covered strategies for expanding professional networks. Participants were encouraged to begin by connecting with fellow students in the same field before expanding their networks to students, alumni, and professionals from other fields. LinkedIn can also be used to identify mentors and establish professional relationships with clear purposes. This is in line with the workshop’s focus on developing professional networks and utilizing LinkedIn for career development opportunities.

The event continued with the LinkedIn Building Workshop and LinkedIn Profile Sprint, where participants directly updated and completed their LinkedIn profiles based on the materials provided. This hands-on approach was a key component of the workshop, allowing participants to immediately apply what they had learned.

Through LinkedIn Ready, the S1 Archaeology Study Program UGM hopes to encourage students to establish their professional presence before graduation and make greater use of LinkedIn as a platform for professional networking and career development. The workshop represents one of the program’s efforts to equip students with relevant skills and prepare them for the professional world.

Author: Muhammad Irsyad
Photo credit: Nadhifa Nurrahmi Hasna

Learning in the Second Language Acquisition course of the Master’s Program in Linguistics, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), provides students with an experience that goes beyond theoretical learning by giving them opportunities to directly observe and engage in the process of second language acquisition.

One of the highlights of the course is an intermediate conversation class involving international students who are learning Indonesian. In this activity, Master’s students enrolled in the Second Language Acquisition course take on the role of tutors, assisting international students in learning and practicing Indonesian.

The activity provides a learning space that connects academic perspectives on second language acquisition with actual language-learning practices. Through interactions between tutors and learners, students can observe how a second language is learned and used in authentic communicative situations. Concepts discussed in the course—including interaction, language environment, individual factors, language transfer, and the cognitive and social processes involved in second language acquisition—can be explored more concretely through this hands-on experience.

The Second Language Acquisition course covers major theories, approaches, and key findings in the field of second language acquisition. Students are encouraged to analyze the cognitive, social, and environmental processes that influence second language acquisition, while also examining the differences between first and second language acquisition. The course further explores individual factors such as age and motivation, as well as language transfer and its implications for language teaching.

The involvement of international students as Indonesian language learners provides an authentic context for Master’s students to understand that second language acquisition does not occur in a uniform manner. Learners may have different needs, strategies, responses, and patterns of linguistic development. These differences provide valuable material for students to connect theoretical concepts with actual phenomena observed in second language acquisition.

In addition to conversation practice, the course incorporates weekly active seminar discussions, critical reading and academic article reviews, case studies based on authentic acquisition data, the integration of second-language (L2) corpus data or recorded interlanguage data, and collaborative mini research projects. Indonesian is used as the language of instruction throughout the course.

Through this learning approach, students are expected not only to explain and evaluate major theories and their development in second language acquisition, but also to critically analyze acquisition data and connect second language acquisition theories with language teaching practices. The experience of serving as tutors in the intermediate conversation class provides an important form of contextual learning that deepens students’ understanding of the complexities of second language acquisition.

The activity also demonstrates that learning in the Master’s Program in Linguistics extends beyond mastering theoretical concepts. Students are encouraged to bring theory into real-world contexts, observe linguistic phenomena directly, and reflect on their observations as part of their academic development and research training in linguistics.

Author: Master of Linguistics Program