Yogyakarta, 19/8/2025 – The Arabic Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), opened the 2025/2026 academic year with a warm and meaningful gathering between Academic Supervisors and their students. This event served not only as an academic briefing but also as a space to strengthen personal connections, ensuring students have a clearer roadmap for their journey at Arabic Study Program UGM.

The Academic Supervisors personally greeted their mentees, fostering closer communication and interaction. The session continued with a review of students’ credit achievements (SKS) and a reminder of the academic credit system, encouraging students to design effective learning strategies for the semesters ahead. In addition, the supervisors introduced students to the projection of their final projects, giving them an early picture of the possible paths they could take in preparing for their culminating academic work.

Beyond academics, students were reminded of the importance of building a professional digital footprint during their time at UGM. They were encouraged to utilize platforms such as LinkedIn to record achievements, experiences, and personal growth. This simple yet strategic step is expected to lay a strong foundation for future careers while supporting the university’s Key Performance Indicators (IKU).

In line with this, the meeting also highlighted opportunities offered by the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) program, which enables students to strengthen both hard skills and soft skills through experiential learning beyond the classroom.

The session concluded with an emphasis on nurturing student achievement. The Arabic Study Program reaffirmed its commitment to fully supporting students in developing their potential—both academic and non-academic—so that they may grow into graduates who are excellent, competitive, and ready to contribute meaningfully to society.

Author: Muhammad Ardiansyah

A youth-led, non-profit organisation, AIYA seeks to improve the connections between young Australians and Indonesians as well as the opportunities that exist between Australia and Indonesia through cultural and language exchanges, professional programs, and more. AIYA has chapters active in Australian states and territories, and also in Indonesia, including one in Yogyakarta. At the national level, AIYA is governed by an executive committee of early-career professionals.

Bathari Sekar Dewangga, also known as Atha, an English Literature student, secured an internship as an educational events organizer at AIYA. Atha went through two stages of selection for this internship at AIYA. The first was application screening/review, and the second was an interview. Since AIYA is an international organization, in the interview, she had to position herself as a delegate/representative of her country and have a mindset to grow, learn, be tolerant, and understand others.

As an education event officer, Atha’s main task is to organize language exchange events, starting from brainstorming topic ideas and questions related to the chosen topic, compiling event rundowns, surveying places to hold events, becoming MCs and facilitators during the event, and being an intermediary between AIYA and outside parties who want to collaborate with Education AIYA. Not only that, but sometimes Atha also assists the socio-cultural division in running events.

She also served as a link between AIYA and the external parties. Moreover, being part of AIYA allowed her to see the world through different perspectives, appreciating cultural differences and learning to manage her schedule more effectively, especially while balancing academic commitments and preparing for her community service (KKN). At first, she only wanted to strengthen her English skills and make global connections during her internship with the organisation. But she ended up with more than she had needed. She became more proficient in communication, time management, and decision-making. 

Meeting new people and learning about their cultures and languages at each event was both exciting and thrilling for her. Through collaboration, she gained experience in a professional environment and built her career path. “My participation in this organisation has increased my interest in pursuing an overseas job, getting a master’s degree, or establishing a career in Australia,” she shared.

Yogyakarta, 16/8/2025 — On Saturday, August 16, 2025, the Korean Language and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, held the Closing of the Translation Workshop and Author Talk of A Very Faint Light Though by Choi Eunyoung. The event took place at the Soegondo Building Auditorium, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, from 9:00 to 11:30 AM, attended by workshop participants, UGM students, and the general public.

The program began with the closing session of the translation workshop, which had been previously conducted. In this session, all participants received certificates of participation and books as a token of appreciation for their involvement. This event was held in collaboration with the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) and received support from PT. Taekwang Indonesia.

Following the workshop closing, the event continued with a talkshow featuring Choi Eunyoung. During this session, Choi Eunyoung was introduced to the audience along with her published works. The talkshow proceeded with a lively Q&A and quiz session. Participants’ enthusiasm was evident through the many questions raised, and as a form of appreciation, those who actively asked or answered questions were awarded free books.

As the final part of the event, the series concluded with the presentation of souvenirs from the Korean Language and Culture Study Program, group documentation, and a book signing session by Choi Eunyoung. Through this event, participants not only gained academic experience from the translation workshop but also the opportunity to engage more closely with the author and contemporary Korean literature. The event marked an important moment in strengthening appreciation for Korean literature while also fostering greater interest among students and the wider community in translation practice and translated works.

Author: Sherina Azmi A

Yogyakarta, 15/8/2025 – Two lecturers from the Master’s Program in Literature at Universitas Gadjah Mada, Prof. Faruk Tripoli, S.U., and Dr. phil. Ramayda Akmal, S.S., M.A., launched their latest book Naratologi Klasik through a discussion event held at SaRang Art, Books & Coffee on Friday, August 15, 2025. The event was part of the Forum Bakal Buku program, which provides a platform for authors and publishers to present their upcoming works.

In a discussion moderated by Heru, the authors emphasized the importance of narratology as one of the pillars of literary studies. Prof. Faruk likened narratology to a camera capable of “shooting” and “zooming,” helping readers to grasp a story in its entirety. “No matter how much we analyze the content through various approaches, narratology allows us to better understand the story,” he remarked.

Moderator Heru added that narratology makes readers more attentive to narrative techniques rather than merely the content of a story. He illustrated this by showing how the 1998 events could be understood differently through direct testimony compared to a novel addressing the same events. “One of the greatest mistakes literature students make is to immediately focus on the content, while narratology actually explains how the story is conveyed,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ramayda Akmal stressed that the way a story is told often carries ideological weight. “The foundation of narratology lies in two things: first, studying the content of the story in literary works, and second, examining how the story is presented. It is in this mode of presentation that political elements often emerge,” she noted.

The discussion was interactive, with an enthusiastic audience engaging directly with the authors. The presence of Naratologi Klasik is expected to make a significant contribution to enriching literary theory in Indonesia, while also reinforcing the position of narratology as a critical tool for reading literary texts within their social, cultural, and political contexts.

Author: Marsya Kamila/Public/Public Relations, Master’s Program in Literature

Yogyakarta, 14/8/2025 – The Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Gadjah Mada University (FIB UGM) warmly welcomed new students of the Master’s Program in Linguistics for the academic year 2025/2026 through the Academic Forum & Students Gathering held on Thursday, August 14, 2025, at the Soegondo Auditorium, 7th floor of FIB UGM. This event marks the initial step for new students to familiarize themselves with the academic environment while fostering a sense of community.

The event commenced with participant registration, followed by speeches from the Committee Chair, the Chair of Kalingga 2024, and culminated in an official address and symbolic opening by the Head of the Linguistics Master’s Program, Dr. Suhandano, M.A. During this opportunity, he provided profound guidance that resonated with the participants.

Dr. Suhandano began by presenting an overview of the study program, particularly regarding the curriculum designed to be completed over four semesters. “In this session, we discuss the program or curriculum here, so that new students have an idea of what they need to do during their studies,” he stated. This explanation serves as a tangible step to ensure that every student has access to quality and directed education, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of education in developing contexts.

Moreover, he emphasized the achievements attained by the Linguistics Master’s Program, which has received both superior accreditation and international accreditation. According to him, this achievement is the result of collaboration among faculty, educational staff, and students. “Let us continue, enhance, and maintain that collaboration together,” he encouraged with optimism. This aligns with efforts to improve the quality of higher education while expanding academic networks at the global level.

In his speech, Dr. Suhandano also revealed interesting data about the number of new students this year. A total of 71 individuals have registered and will be divided into two classes. “There are still some who have been accepted but are delaying registration, possibly waiting for scholarships,” he explained. More than half of the accepted students have received scholarships, which is a testament to the trust of scholarship providers in the quality of this study program. This achievement also reflects the equitable opportunity for learning without discrimination based on background.

The atmosphere became even warmer during the student introduction session. One of the standout moments was when an international student named Kenneth from Madagascar introduced himself. The significant geographical distance serves as evidence that the Linguistics Master’s Program at UGM has become a cross-border study choice, contributing to the strengthening of diversity and global collaboration.

With the motivational address from the Head of the Program, the series of activities continued with academic information sessions, concentration discussions, and various community-building activities. Through this event, new students not only gained academic understanding but also experienced the familial atmosphere that characterizes FIB UGM—an auspicious beginning aligned with the mission of creating inclusive, quality, and internationally competitive education.

The orientation activities also included workshops aimed at capacity building, equipping students with essential skills for their academic journey. These workshops are designed to enhance students’ competencies, ensuring they are well-prepared to face the challenges of their studies and future careers.

As the day progressed, students engaged in interactive sessions that encouraged collaboration and networking among peers. This initiative is part of FIB UGM’s commitment to fostering a supportive learning environment, which is crucial for personal and professional development in line with the SDGs.