October 8, 2026 — As the winners of the 2026 K-speech jingle singing contest, UGM students were granted the honor of being the opening act for the competition. This performance is showcased in a video accessible on the K-speech Association’s official YouTube channel, K-speech TV.

For this year’s competition, the UGM team represented Indonesia in the K-speech choral category, while Pramesti Rifna Saputri, a UGM alumna from the class of 2015, represented the country in the individual category. The contest was held on October 8, 2026, at the King Sejong Royal Tomb complex in Yeoju City.

UGM successfully brought home the Best Excellent Award (최우수상) in the group category, presented by the Overseas Koreans Agency (재외동포청). Meanwhile, in the individual category, Pramesti also won the Best Excellent Award, awarded by the Governor of Gyeonggi Province (경기도지사). The highest honor in the foreigner individual category, the Foreigner Grand Prize (외국인 대상) from the Prime Minister (국무총리), was awarded to Maissane Aboubaker Hassan from Djibouti.

Author: Alfiana Amrin Rosyadi

A remarkable achievement has once again been made by a student of the Bachelor in Japanese Language and Culture, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM). Callista Putri Nathania won Second Place in the 5th Yogyakarta Special Region Japanese Presentation Contest 2026, held on October 17, 2026, at the E7-A Amphitheater, 5th Floor, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY).

This year’s competition carried the theme “What Is Happiness?”, encouraging participants to express their perspectives and thoughts on the meaning of happiness through presentations in Japanese. The theme provided participants with an opportunity to further develop their Japanese language proficiency while presenting their ideas critically and creatively.

In the competition, Callista Putri Nathania demonstrated her Japanese language proficiency and presentation skills, earning her second place. This achievement reflects students’ enthusiasm for developing their Japanese language abilities, particularly in oral communication and public speaking.

Callista’s achievement is expected to inspire other students to continue improving their Japanese language skills and take part in various competitions at both regional and national levels.

The Japanese Language and Culture Study Program, FIB UGM, appreciates Callista’s accomplishment and extends its congratulations on this achievement. May this success serve as a stepping stone toward even greater accomplishments in the future.

Author: Felisha Bethrix

Yogyakarta, Indonesia — On Friday, October 30, 2026, three lecturers from the Korean Language and Culture Study Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) officially obtained Level 1 teaching certification, the highest level of certification awarded by the National Institute of Korean Language. The three lecturers are Dr. Hwang Who Young, M.A., Iva Hanani, S.S., M.A., and Alfiana Amrin Rosyadi, S.S., M.A.

All three were deemed eligible to receive the top-tier credential after satisfying the main criteria, which require holding a Level 2 teaching certificate for at least five years from its date of issuance and accumulating a minimum of 2,000 teaching hours in Korean language-related courses. These teaching hours must originate from officially recognized institutions, including the UGM Korean Language and Culture Study Program and the King Sejong Institute Yogyakarta.

With this achievement, the UGM Korean Language and Culture Study Program further reinforces the quality of its academic faculty. It marks a historical milestone for Korean language pedagogy in Indonesia, as three lecturers successfully passed the rigorous certification process simultaneously. Notably, two of the three qualifying faculty members are non-native lecturers, serving as an inspiration for students interested in Korean language pedagogy by demonstrating that professional recognition from the South Korean government is accessible to both native and non-native educators alike.

Author: Alfiana

The Student Association of the Department of Javanese Literature (Himpunan Mahasiswa Jurusan, HMJ) Keluarga Mahasiswa Sastra Jawa (Kamastawa) organized a community service activity entitled “Kamastawa Mengajar dan Berbagi” (Kamastawa Teaches and Shares) at Sanggar Puspa Budaya, Kapanewon Minggir, Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, on Saturday (10/31/2026). This activity represents a tangible expression of students’ concern for education and the preservation of local culture, as well as an effort to revive the practice of using polite Javanese (unggah-ungguh) among children.

This community service program was the result of a collaboration between the Scientific Division and the Social and Community Division of HMJ Kamastawa. This interdivisional synergy was designed to ensure that the programs implemented could generate a tangible and sustainable social impact on the wider community.

A total of 30 elementary school-aged children who are members of Sanggar Puspa Budaya participated in this activity. From the opening of the event in the morning, the children’s enthusiasm and cheerful expressions were evident as they prepared to take part in the entire series of activities.

The event began with an educational session on unggah-ungguh basa Jawa, or Javanese language etiquette. An understanding of language etiquette and speech levels is considered very important to instill from an early age so that younger generations continue to recognize and uphold their cultural roots amid the onslaught of modernization.

To make the material easier for children to understand, the Scientific Division adopted an interactive approach through a game in which participants filled in missing letters in Javanese vocabulary. Through this learning by playing concept, the children were encouraged to participate actively without feeling pressured or bored. The atmosphere at the cultural center became lively as the participants enthusiastically competed to answer questions and complete the challenges presented.

Left: HMJ Kamastawa members distribute gift packages to participants.
Right: A glimpse of the participants’ enthusiasm during the learning session.

Following the interactive learning session, the activity continued with a social initiative involving the provision of learning facilities and supporting equipment for the cultural center. HMJ Kamastawa donated various school supplies, including a whiteboard, markers, notebooks, pencils, pens, and other supporting materials to support operations and teaching and learning activities at Sanggar Puspa Budaya.

Through this community service activity, HMJ Kamastawa hopes to continue inspiring children’s enthusiasm for learning the Javanese language and culture. In addition, the activity is also expected to strengthen students’ empathy and social awareness toward the surrounding community.

Writer: Nindy Rosalina Ekaputri
Editor: Haryo Untoro

Contributors: Nada & Jusma, 2026