To deepen the study of Southeast Asia and deepen academic cooperation with Indonesia, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences held a special visit to the NCCU College of Foreign Language and Literature on December 15, 2023 (Friday). The delegation on this visiting team was Prof. Setiadi, M. Si., dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, SS, M. Hum, dean of academic and student affairs, and Drs. Muhadi Sugiono, M.A., a representative from the Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies.

First of all, the Dean of NCCU College of Foreign Language and Literature, Zheng Jiayu, gave the opening speech. He thanked the group of guests from Indonesia who had come to visit. Next, the conversation was continued by Vice President Zhao Jingqi who gave a brief explanation about the NCCU College of Foreign Language and Literature. After that, we continued with Assistant Professor Cheng Ji Shiwei and Assistant Professor Bao Qiyun from the Bachelor of Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures who each introduced plans regarding Indonesian language courses and academic activities.

In the next material presentation session, Prof. Setiadi, M. Si., gave a presentation on the internationalization of Indonesian. Then Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, SS, M.Hum explained the academic environment of Gadjah Mada University by explaining the INCULS program owned by FIB UGM. The presentation from the FIB UGM team was closed by Drs. Muhadi Sugiono, M.A. explained that ASEAN Identity consists of politics and security, economics, society, and culture. The community supports Southeast Asia’s plan to build a community of “One Vision, One Identity, One Community” in the future.

Finally, Dean Zheng Jiayu and Prof. Dr. Setiadi, M. Si signed a cooperation agreement between the two institutions and exchanged copies. The agreement aims to increase academic cooperation between the two parties, including student exchanges, double degrees, consistent five-year bachelor/master plans, exchange of teachers and researchers, cooperation in organizing lectures, seminars, workshops, etc. .,. With the signing of this MOU, it is hoped that it can further enhance cooperation and exchanges between schools, enrich teaching and research material resources in Southeast Asia, provide more international exchange channels for teachers and students, and foster international professional relations.

At the same time, Zhao Jingqi, deputy dean and program director, signed an academic cooperation plan agreement between the program and the Southeast Asian Social Research Center with Drs. Muhadi Sugiono, MA, to promote cooperation in teaching and research between the two parties, such as summer course programs, internships, cooperative research, and publishing, etc.

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The research results of the Pakpak Bharat survey and excavation team through its important heritage of mejan (an ancient relic) have been disseminated to all stakeholders in Pakpak Bharat Regency, North Sumatra, on Monday, 18 December 2023 in Salak, Pakpak Bharat, North Sumatra. Mejan is an ancestral heritage of Pakpak Bharat in the form of statues that are special and unique because they are not found in other regions and therefore deserve to be a proud identity of the Pakpak Bharat community.

The research team coordinator, Dr Mimi Savitri, M.A. outlined the importance of knowledge of the past life of the Pakpak Bharat community related to the existence of mejan. According to her, mejan is a marker, centre, or source of Pakpak people’s life in the past, because the social, economic, cultural, ritual, and gender equality of Pakpak Bharat’s ancestors is known from the remaining mejan that exist up to this moment. One important thing in studying the lives of Pakpak Bharat’s ancestors through mejan is the fact that their ancestor always embracing peace as the upmost value. Peace is one of the most crucial factor on successful development of a nation, which happened to be the goal in SDG’S 16.

Regional Secretary of Pakpak Bharat, Jalan Berutu, S.Pd. M.M. who was present representing the Regent expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the Research Team from the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM, because this collaboration is seen as a major step in the preservation of Pakpak Bharat Cultural Heritage. The cooperation between the two parties is an effort to achieve SDG’s 17 in the form of partnership to achieve goals. He also stated that this dissemination is important for determining the next development strategy of Pakpak Bharat in order to improve people’s welfare. This is in accordance with SDG’s 1 related to life without poverty and SDG’s 12 in the form of efforts to improve the quality of the environment in order to support the implementation of Development.