UGM’s Department of History held a cultural seminar entitled ‘Reclaiming Narratives of Colonial Objects: Recovering Histories and Dismantling Colonial Knowledge’ at the Soegondo Auditorium on Thursday, 9 July 2026.

This seminar brought together academics from Lombok to Amsterdam to examine the dark history of the Lombok War of 1894, during which violence and the mass looting of cultural artefacts belonging to the Mataram Kingdom took place. The discussion amongst the speakers was lively, as it brought together representatives from both sides—those from the colonised and the colonising powers.

“Don’t diversify, decolonise” was the main slogan featured at this event. The slogan emphasises that efforts to reclaim history are not merely about increasing the diversity of collections, but rather a shift in mindset from a narrative originally rooted in the colonisers’ perspective to a historical account belonging to the people themselves, as the colonised.

“We would like to express our gratitude to the University of Amsterdam, the Weltmuseum, the Ministry of Culture and the NWO for supporting this event and ensuring it ran smoothly,” said one of the history students who attended the event.

This seminar, which was open to the public, was well attended by academics, UGM and non-UGM students, and policy-makers. The high level of enthusiasm among participants demonstrated that this forum was not merely a standard academic discussion, but a concrete step towards supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 on Quality Education, through the reconstruction of a more critical history curriculum. Furthermore, this event is also aligned with SDG 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions through efforts at reconciliation and the upholding of historical justice regarding cultural heritage objects.

Author: Humas FIB, Zaidan Abdurrahman

Yogyakarta – This semester break, 11 Australian university students take on INCULS’ short program in preparation for their Summer Program at Fakultas Biologi UGM. They had only studied the language for 3 days. Today, they take on their biggest challenge yet, Treasure Hunt around campus strictly using Indonesian to further improve their understanding of the basic level Indonesian they had learned prior today. 

The activity starts at 9AM and goes on until 11AM. The 11 of them are then split into two groups. Each group is given an envelope. Inside are the clues needed to find their next destination. 

They have to follow directions, such as “belok kiri”, “belok kanan”, cardinal directions, also to recognize buildings, trees, icons, and the faculties around campus. At the designated spots they come along, students are to take pictures together as proof.

Throughout the activity, everyone was very energetic, full of energy, and working together to solve the riddles. They brainstormed to understand the meaning of the sentence and to decide their next move. Not just improving their Indonesian Language capabilities, but also to motivate them to communicate and work as a team.  

Everyone enjoyed the Treasure Hunt our lecturers in INCULS had prepared. Through this activity, not only they could understand directions in Indonesian better but also, the chance to see and etch an image of their new campus environment.

We hope the experience our Australian friends got from this fun and educational activity could increase their confidence when using Bahasa Indonesia, to make them feel at home in a new environment, and also to provide a very enjoyable and educative learning experience in this Summer Program in UGM. 

Author: Bela (Huang Chun Mei)

The Department of History at UGM’s Faculty of Cultural Sciences, in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam and Sound and Vision (Beeld en Geluid), is hosting a summer program titled Re:Sound (Restituting, Reconnecting, Reimagining Sound Heritage). The program will take place at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM, from July 6–10, 2026, and will be attended by students from Gadjah Mada University and the University of Amsterdam. The program’s opening ceremony will be held in Room 709 of the Soegondo Building on Monday, July 6, 2026.

The program was opened by Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, S.S., M.Hum., Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, and Dr. Abdul Wahid, Head of the Department of History. They extended a warm welcome and congratulated the students and all participants involved in the program. Dr. Sri Margana, S.S., M.Hum., and Barbara Titus from Jaap Kunst Collection then took the floor to outline the introduction and objectives of the Re:Sound program, which serves as a collective platform for participants to critically examine the legacy of sound archives, their origins, ownership, and curatorial agency.

The opening of this program marks the start of a series of intensive activities combining in-class discussion sessions and site visits. The series of site visits took place at the Sonobudoyo Museum, the Ullen Sentalu Museum, and the Lokananta Museum. Through a combination of academic lectures in the classroom and visits to these cultural preservation institutions, the Re:Sound Summer Program is expected to spark new discourse among young people across nations regarding the importance of restitution, connectivity, and reimagining sound heritage. This international collaboration also reaffirms FIB UGM’s commitment to supporting academic internationalization and cultural preservation.

[Humas FIB, Maylafaizza Nafisha Zifa]

YOGYAKARTA — On 6 July 2026, the Indonesian Language and Literature Programme at UGM, Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia (KPG), Bentara Budaya and ELTI Jogja organised a literary discussion entitled “From Reporting to Literary Works”. The event, which featured the writer and journalist Linda Christanty, also included a presentation by Prof. Dr Aprinus Salam, a professor who analysed her works. The discussion was attended by around 50 participants in the Multimedia Room, Margono Building, 2nd Floor, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University (UGM).

The discussion was attended by around 50 participants in the Multimedia Room, Margono Building, 2nd Floor, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University (UGM).

One of the most interesting points raised in this discussion was Linda’s concern regarding publishers’ interest in her latest works. In today’s publishing industry, literary works based on serious and weighty humanitarian reporting are often considered to lack commercial appeal or to struggle to break into the mainstream market.

Although this presents both an obstacle and a challenge, Linda remains steadfast in her idealism. “Even if no one is interested yet, it will still be published so that the next generation can read and discover other short stories,” she said.

Linda’s strong commitment suggests that she will continue to produce works of literature. Through her field reporting, she aims to demonstrate that historical facts and dark humanitarian issues can be transformed into powerful literary narratives. A concrete example of this can be found in her short story entitled “A Dead Dog in Bala Murghab”.

Author: Humas FIB, Zaidan Abdurrahman

The Japanese Student Association (HIMAJE) of the Japanese Language and Culture Study Program, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), held Kizuna Camp 2026 on 20–21 June 2026 at Villa Joglo Tanjung, Kalasan, Yogyakarta. The internal event, attended by HIMAJE members from different academic years, aimed to strengthen relationships among students, foster solidarity, and cultivate a stronger sense of family and togetherness within the organization.

Throughout the two-day program, participants took part in a variety of activities designed to enhance teamwork, communication, and coordination in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. The program included games, group discussions, morning exercise, outbound activities, and a shared dinner. The event was also attended by lecturers from the Japanese Language and Culture Study Program, who had the opportunity to interact with students in an informal setting, further strengthening the relationship between lecturers and students beyond the classroom.

Through Kizuna Camp 2026, HIMAJE UGM hopes to foster a more harmonious, active, and united student organization. In addition to providing an opportunity for members to get to know one another better and share organizational experiences, the program is expected to strengthen students’ sense of belonging to HIMAJE and support the sustainability of its future programs.

Author: Prodi Bahasa dan Kebudayaan Jepang