The new academic year 2024/2025 has begun, which means there are new students who will pursue their education at the university level. This is also the case at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada. This time the good news came from the Anthropology department. This year the Anthropology Department accepted 105 new students. Then the department together with the departmental association, Kemant, held an orientation period for new students of the Cultural Anthropology Bachelor Program.

The orientation period was held in a series of events that were packaged creatively and innovatively. The first activity was Meet the New Students, this activity was held on August 11, 2024. This activity is a gateway to introduce new students to anthropology. Through this activity, the committee and Kemant gave an overview of the Anthropology Department by socializing what activities are in the department, such as field research, exchange programs, tandem research, and many more. Then the new students were also divided into several groups that would be accompanied by a guide. The purpose of forming this group is to get to know each other and for various things that will be faced in the world of lectures. “Sharing is caring…”, said Deta as the public relations committee. This activity was closed with a jamming session.

Furthermore, students will get to know more about cultural anthropology in the activities in the coming week, some of which are: (a) group discussions that will be divided into several topics; (b) Rembukant, a talkshow type activity that will present speakers; (c) Writing Workshop; (d) Puncak Berkawant. So, let’s look forward to a series of other activities.

On Monday, August 12, 2024, the Department of History of Universitas Gadjah Mada has successfully held a special meeting for new students of the Master of History Program. This event took place offline in Soegondo Room 325 from 10:00 to 12:00 WIB. The meeting was attended by lecturers and all new students, and led directly by the Head of the Department, Dr. Abdul Wahid, M.Phil. During the two hours, participants received various important information about their study program, including curriculum, facilities, and upcoming academic activities.

The event aimed to introduce new students to the academic environment and build a good initial relationship between students and faculty. With a warm and interactive atmosphere, participants were given the opportunity to ask questions and discuss matters related to their studies. The lecturers appreciated the enthusiasm and attendance of the new students, and hoped that this meeting would be a good start to their academic journey in the Master of History program. The event went smoothly and ended with high hopes for academic success and productive collaboration in the future.

On Sunday, August 11, 2024, the Welcoming event for Linguistics 2024 students was successfully held at the Auditorium of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada. The activity began with a warm welcome from the Head of HMJ Linguistics, Yuliana, who welcomed the new students. Furthermore, participants were introduced to the profile of KALINGGA (Keluarga Linguistik Gadjah Mada), a linguistics master graduate student association.

The event continued with the election of the new class president, followed by an ice breaking session involving a Kahoot game with questions about the material that had been presented previously. During this session, participants were also divided into groups based on their specialization concentration, namely descriptive, translation, or social linguistics.At the end of the event, participants conveyed their impressions and messages before taking a group photo to conclude the activity. The whole event went smoothly and successfully, marking the beginning of a promising journey for the new Linguistics 2024 students.

Friday, August 9, 2024 – In the framework of the 69th Anniversary of the Faculty of Economics & Business (FEB) Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), a women’s volleyball match was held which brought together the FEB UGM team with the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) UGM team. The match was held at 07.30 WIB at the FEB UGM Volleyball Court, which is located next to Pertamina Tower.

Although the match was won by the FEB UGM team, FIB UGM’s participation in this event received high appreciation. The FIB UGM team showed great spirit and enthusiasm, and enjoyed every moment of the game. The joy and spirit of sportsmanship shown by the UGM Faculty of Arts team added to the festive atmosphere in this 69th Anniversary celebration.

FIB UGM was very happy to be able to enliven the event organized by their neighboring faculty and hopes that similar activities can continue to strengthen relations between faculties and create more opportunities for collaboration in the future.

FERDEO, S.Sos., is a student of the Master of Anthropology program at Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, since August 2023. He is very committed to growing through his experiences, and is passionate about education. With more than five years of experience as a public speaker, Ferdeo currently serves as a Mental Health Ambassador and Postgraduate Ambassador at his university. In his role as a mental health ambassador, he contributes to creating a campus environment that supports student well-being. In addition, Ferdeo is active in academic and cultural activities at the national and international levels and is a frequent MC and moderator in various faculty and university events.

Currently, Ferdeo is also active in various organizations. Since August 2023, Ferdeo has served as a Mental Health Ambassador in the Mental Health Ministry of BEM KM Universitas Gadjah Mada, which focuses on student mental health advocacy through psychological education, research studies, mental health service monitoring, and collaboration with related parties. In his role, Ferdeo initiated and leads the advocacy program “Journey to Joy”, which is open to the general public in Yogyakarta. He is also a frequent speaker and advocate of mental health discussions in the Universitas Gadjah Mada community, faculties, and surrounding high schools. In addition to being honored as Gadjah Mada University’s Mental Health Ambassador, Ferdeo was also selected as Gadjah Mada University’s Postgraduate Ambassador from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences.

Ferdeo also has a lot of work experience as a freelancer since 2020, where he performed various roles with high professionalism. As a speaker, Ferdeo delivers engaging presentations at events on a variety of topics. As a Master of Ceremony, he organizes events smoothly and elegantly, while his skills as a moderator enable productive discussions and collaborations. In addition, Ferdeo also contributes as a model, adding elegance and credibility to visual representations. With more than five years of experience, he has spoken at many events, ranging from school and university events to regional, national, and international platforms. Since 2021, Ferdeo has also been active as a photography model for various salons and boutiques, as well as appearing as a runway model and usher at various regional events.

From his many experiences and achievements, it can be seen that he has various skills that support his performance both in work and other activities. Ferdeo is highly skilled in public speaking, interpersonal communication, problem solving, critical thinking, adaptation, time management, and working to achieve targets. He even received an A certificate in public speaking skill development training from the Directorate of Student Affairs (DITMAWA) Unit of Universitas Gadjah Mada. With a combination of strong skills and dedication in various fields, Ferdeo shows outstanding commitment in academic, professional, and organizational roles. His active role as a Mental Health Ambassador, his involvement in national and international events, and his expertise as a speaker, moderator, and model, make him an inspiring and influential figure in his community. Ferdeo continues to strive to advance her field of interest and contribute significantly to the well-being and development of her community.