Yogyakarta – An online academic discussion jointly organized by Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Malaysia once again provided a platform for students to deepen their understanding of Arabic language and literary studies. Led by Dr. Nur Kholid, M.P., a lecturer in the Arabic Literature Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada, the session offered an interactive discussion on metaphor and linguistic analysis. During the online meeting, participants explored the concepts of musyabbah and musyabbah bih, focusing on how meaning is constructed through comparisons expressed either explicitly or implicitly. Dr. Kholid presented the material in a systematic manner by analyzing a variety of examples, enabling students not only to understand linguistic structures but also to appreciate the deeper meanings and interpretations embedded in Arabic texts.

Throughout the discussion, students examined several examples of metaphor, including the comparison of soldiers to lions in battle, tears to pearls, and spring as a symbol of human happiness. These illustrations helped participants understand how Arabic employs figurative language to convey meaning in a more vivid, meaningful, and contextual way.In addition to metaphor, the discussion expanded to the interpretation of word meanings in Arabic. The diverse perspectives shared during the session demonstrated that linguistic analysis is not limited to a single interpretation but is open to various analytical approaches and viewpoints. This approach encouraged students to broaden their perspectives while strengthening their understanding of Arabic linguistics and literary studies.

Overall, the discussion was conducted smoothly in an engaging and interactive atmosphere. Students actively participated throughout the discussion and question-and-answer session, reflecting their enthusiasm for the topic. Through this academic activity, participants are expected to enhance their understanding of Arabic studies while further developing their linguistic and analytical skills.

Author: Indana Zulfa

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

Postgraduate students from the Master’s and Doctoral programmes in Arabic Language Education at Darussalam University (UNIDA) Gontor visited the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) at UGM for a joint public lecture with the Master’s Programme in Middle Eastern Cultural Studies (KBTT). The meeting took place in Room 709 of the Soegondo Building on Thursday, 23 July 2026. The event was opened by Dr Mahmudah, S.S., M.Hum., programme coordinator of the Master’s Programme in Middle Eastern Culture at Gadjah Mada University.

This event was organised as part of a goodwill visit and benchmarking exercise by UNIDA Gontor. Mahmudah explained that this collaboration will continue until 2030, as evidenced by the presence of several UNIDA students currently studying on the KBTT programme at UGM.

This interview session was also attended by two other speakers, namely Prof. Dr Syamsul Hadi, S.U., M.A. (Emeritus Professor in the Department of Intercultural Studies/Arabic Literature, Faculty of Humanities, UGM) and Prof. Dr Sangidu, M.Hum. (Professor of Modern Arabic Literature, Faculty of Humanities, UGM). During the session, Prof. Syamsul Hadi spoke briefly about the origins of this study programme.

“Initially, the Master’s Programme in Middle Eastern Cultural Studies was part of the UGM Graduate School, before moving and becoming the KBTT, which is now under the auspices of the Faculty of Humanities, UGM,” he explained.

This event clearly supports SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by fostering higher education collaboration between UNIDA Gontor and FIB UGM, which is set to continue through 2030.

[Author: Humas FIB, Zaidan Abdurrahman]

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, 21 June 2026 — The Faculty of Cultural Sciences at UGM held a workshop and upgrading programme for the Healthy and Culturally Aware POSBINDU (SEBAYA) as part of the 2026 Sustainability Campus Action initiative. The event took place on Tuesday, 21 June 2026, in the Multimedia Room on the 2nd floor of the Margono Building.

POSBINDU (Integrated Health Promotion Post), known within FIB as SEBAYA (Healthy and Empowered), is a free health screening centre established to facilitate the early detection of non-communicable diseases among the academic community. The event was officially opened by Ms Erika, Head of the Administration Office (KKA) at FIB UGM. The programme continued with a refresher session on POSBINDU for both existing and new volunteers, an introduction to the new POSBINDU system, and hands-on practice of health checks covering four service stations.

During this event, the Faculty of Humanities (FIB) at UGM hosted speakers from UGM’s Health Promoting University (HPU) programme: Dita Margarini, S.Gz., M.P.H., and Muhammad Alif Taufiqurrahman, S.Kom. Both speakers provided explanations, guidance and support to educational staff throughout the entire POSBINDU programme.

Through the organisation of this workshop and professional development programme, FIB UGM aims to enhance the performance of educational staff and raise awareness of healthy lifestyles within the campus community on a sustainable basis. This initiative represents a concrete demonstration of UGM’s commitment to the ‘Sustainability Campus Action 2026’ programme, which supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being.


[Author: Humas FIB, Zaidan Abdurrahman]