The 2026 Arabic Culture Festival (FKA), organized by Arabic Literature at UGM, has returned under the grand theme “Binar Suar Arabia, Menyinari Cakrawala Dunia” (Radiant Rays of Arabia, Illuminating the World’s Horizon). Held biennially, the festival centers its main events on competitions for high school and university levels. However, what truly stole the spotlight this time was the presence of Arabic Market Day (AMD), specially designed to occupy the free time of participants and accompanying teachers to prevent boredom while supporting the competitions.

Serving as the hub for supporting activities, Arabic Market Day features three main pillars: Interactive Space, Cultural Tenant, and Live Cooking Arabic Meal. The peak of AMD’s festivity took place on the second day through an open stage that facilitated participants in singing and featured performances by the FKA committee members.

This led up to the two most anticipated main presentations: Qiroatus Syi’ir and the debut performance of Keroncong Seroja. As a new community formed by Arabic Literature, Keroncong Seroja successfully mesmerized the audience through a unique blend of classic keroncong music with Arabic-nuanced songs and other cross-genre tracks.

High enthusiasm was also acknowledged by the committee, who noted that this year’s AMD was much more lively and “lit” compared to the previous edition. “AMD is now much busier and more fun, unlike last year which was rather quiet.” A warm atmosphere was reflected by the bustling crowd enjoying culinary delights like kebabs while sitting on floor mats (lesehan) to enjoy the stage entertainment.

More than just a transit space or waiting area, this activity is expected to continue in future FKA events as both a recreational space and an educational bridge that is welcoming for the general public to explore the Arabic world more deeply.

Author: Humas FIB, Zaidan Abdurrahman

Yogyakarta — The findings of the tracer study and the graduate user satisfaction survey serve as the basis for evaluating and improving the quality of learning in the Master’s Program in Literary Studies, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). The evaluation results are used to inform curriculum reviews, annual activity planning, and efforts to strengthen graduate competencies so that they remain aligned with the needs and developments of the labor market.

The evaluation draws on five data sources: the UGM Tracer Studies conducted in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, as well as the Graduate User Satisfaction Survey administered by the Master’s Program in Literary Studies. The data cover graduates from various graduation years and responses from 43 supervisors or organizations employing the graduates.

Tracer study data are collected periodically from graduates. The findings are then analyzed and discussed at program meetings involving lecturers responsible for relevant courses to identify aspects of learning that should be maintained or improved.

Relatively Short Job Search Period

One of the key findings indicates that graduates of UGM’s Master’s Program in Literary Studies generally experience a relatively short waiting period before securing employment. Based on data for graduates from 2022–2024, the average waiting period ranged from 2.6 to 3 months.

The proportion of graduates who secured employment within six months of graduation also showed an upward trend, increasing from 80 percent among the 2022 graduates to 89 percent among the 2024 graduates. Most respondents had already been employed before completing their studies. This reflects the characteristics of master’s students, many of whom already have work experience while pursuing their degrees.

The data also show positive developments in the alignment between graduates’ fields of employment and their fields of study. Among the 2024 graduates, 74 percent of respondents reported a high level of alignment, up from 59 percent among the 2023 graduates. Meanwhile, the proportion of graduates reporting low alignment decreased from 14 percent to 5 percent.

These developments are consistent with efforts to strengthen interest-based elective courses introduced in the latest curriculum. Nevertheless, the relationship between curriculum changes and the improved alignment of graduates’ fields of employment with their fields of study needs to be further examined through evaluations in subsequent periods.

Strengthening Applied Skills and Foreign Language Proficiency

In addition to mapping graduates’ employment outcomes, the tracer study evaluates proficiency in 25 competencies at graduation and at the time of the survey. The results indicate that several competencies still require attention, particularly data analytics, project management, negotiation, the ability to work under pressure, and time management.

Some of these competencies showed relatively limited improvement after graduates completed their studies. For example, proficiency in data analytics increased only slightly, from 3.91 to 3.96 on a five-point scale. Meanwhile, the project management score remained unchanged at 4.09.

English proficiency is another area that needs to be strengthened. Graduates rated their English proficiency at 4.13 upon graduation, increasing to 4.16 at the time of the survey.

These findings are consistent with the results of the Graduate User Satisfaction Survey. Of the seven competency areas assessed, foreign language proficiency received the lowest proportion of “very good” ratings, at 67.44 percent. Conversely, personal development received the highest proportion of “very good” ratings, at 93.02 percent.

Although all areas received either “good” or “very good” ratings, with no “poor” ratings recorded, this gap has become one of the considerations guiding the program’s efforts to strengthen foreign language instruction, particularly English.

Experiential Learning as an Area of Focus

The tracer study also reveals a difference in emphasis between classroom-based and experiential learning methods. Discussions received the highest score, at 4.66, followed by lectures at 4.45. Experiential learning methods received lower scores, with internships scoring 2.80, practical sessions 3.11, and fieldwork 3.18.

The relatively limited emphasis on experiential learning has become an area of concern because it relates to the need to strengthen applied and managerial competencies. In response to these findings, the program plans to involve students in lecturers’ research projects and in organizing academic events, incorporate project management components into methodology courses, and introduce data processing tools in research methods classes.

The program also plans to establish structured fieldwork activities through courses on oral tradition studies and philology. In addition, it will explore partnerships with cultural institutions and publishing organizations to expand opportunities for students to gain practical experience.

Expanding Career Information and Alumni Networks

Regarding the transition into the workforce, the 2026 Tracer Study identified limited access to job vacancy information as the most frequently reported obstacle. Of the 39 respondents who answered this question, 28.21 percent cited limited job vacancy information as a barrier. Another 23.08 percent reported a lack of job opportunities specifically targeted at graduates of the program.

Other obstacles included insufficient work experience, reported by 17.95 percent of respondents. Meanwhile, 15.38 percent stated that they had encountered no difficulties in finding employment.

These findings have prompted the program to improve access to career information and professional networks. Planned follow-up measures include establishing information channels for job vacancies and further study scholarships, regularly organizing alumni experience-sharing forums, and introducing graduate profiles to cultural institutions, publishing organizations, and partner universities.

On the other hand, the most widely reported benefit of the program was improved critical thinking and decision-making skills, as reported by 29 of the 49 respondents. Other benefits included greater ease in obtaining or creating employment opportunities, reported by 11 respondents, and opportunities to pursue further studies, reported by 10 respondents.

These findings indicate that the value of education in the Master’s Program in Literary Studies extends beyond employment opportunities to include intellectual development and enhanced decision-making capabilities.

Periodic Evaluation as a Basis for Improvement

Based on the overall findings, the Master’s Program in Literary Studies has established several improvement priorities, including strengthening foreign language proficiency, enhancing applied and managerial competencies, expanding experiential learning, strengthening academic advising, and improving access to career information and alumni networks.

Efforts to strengthen foreign language proficiency will include incorporating more primary reading materials in foreign languages into theoretical courses, requiring final assignments for compulsory courses to be written in English, and providing guidance on English-language article writing before students begin preparing their theses.

Meanwhile, academic advising from the first semester will be strengthened to help students select courses and determine thesis topics that align with their career plans. This measure is expected to further improve the alignment between graduates’ fields of study and their employment.

The implementation of these improvements will be monitored through subsequent tracer studies and graduate user satisfaction surveys. The program has also acknowledged several data limitations, including annual respondent numbers ranging from 35 to 49, the absence of information on graduates’ graduation years in the graduate user satisfaction survey, and the use of self-reported assessments of competency levels.

By making regular use of tracer study findings, UGM’s Master’s Program in Literary Studies seeks to ensure that learning evaluation goes beyond data collection and leads to measurable improvement measures. The evaluation results are expected to support improvements in learning quality while strengthening the relevance of graduate competencies to labor market needs and developments in the field of literary studies.

By: Khotibul Umam

Yogyakarta, October 19, 2026 — Proud news comes from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). Two students from the Cultural Anthropology Study Program, Nasywa Adinda Ibrahim (Class of 2024) and Dinaesy Fadillah Hidayat (Class of 2025), have successfully qualified as participants in the 39th National Student Scientific Week (PIMNAS 39). This national-level scientific event will be held at Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, from November 2–7, 2026.

This achievement is the result of a long series of Student Creativity Program (PKM) implementations spanning approximately four to five months. Both students, along with their respective teams, navigated various stages, ranging from field research to the Student Creativity Program Progress Assessment (PKP2). Following this rigorous process, the announcement of qualifying for PIMNAS 39 marks a proud milestone for FIB UGM students.

Nasywa Adinda Ibrahim is a member of the Social Humanities Research Student Creativity Program (PKM-RSH) team, collaborating with students from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL). The team’s research is entitled “The Paradox of Cultural Revitalization: Local Community Strategies in Facing Retail Gentrification in Kampung Batik Kauman, Solo.” The study was conducted through field research to understand how local communities navigate social and economic shifts driven by retail development in the Kampung Batik Kauman area of Solo. Through this thorough research journey, Nasywa and her team successfully advanced their work to the PIMNAS 39 stage.

Meanwhile, Dinaesy Fadillah Hidayat is part of the Exact Sciences Research Student Creativity Program (PKM-RE) team, collaborating with students from science and technology fields. The team developed research on utilizing rice straw as a raw material for hard carbon anodes in sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries. Their research is entitled “Engineering the Structure of Nitrogen-Doped Hard Carbon Derived from Rice Straw with Graphite Waste Spacers to Enhance the Performance of Sodium-Ion Battery Anodes.” This research focuses on engineering structural materials derived from agricultural waste and graphite to boost the performance of sodium-ion battery anodes. Successfully passing the various PKM stages brought Dinaesy and her team to secure a spot at PIMNAS 39.

The success of these two students demonstrates that FIB UGM students have ample opportunities to contribute across diverse research fields, spanning both the social humanities and science and technology. The involvement of Anthropology students in both teams also highlights the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in developing innovative research that benefits society.

This achievement is expected to inspire other FIB UGM students to continue generating ideas, conducting research, and daring to compete at the national level. The entire academic community of FIB UGM extends its appreciation to Nasywa Adinda Ibrahim and Dinaesy Fadillah Hidayat, along with their respective teams. May both teams navigate the entire PIMNAS 39 series smoothly and achieve the best possible results.

Author: Humas FIB, Zaidan Abdurrahman

Yogyakarta — Alumni of the Master’s Program in Linguistics at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) have shared a number of aspirations for developing the alumni network so that it can play a more active role in supporting academic activities, professional development, and social engagement.

The aspirations were gathered through the “Linguistics Alumni Survey,” distributed via Google Forms through the UGM Linguistics Master’s Program Cross-Cohort WhatsApp Group from 12 to 20 September 2026.

In general, alumni expressed their appreciation for the relationships and connections that have been maintained among graduates, including through the WhatsApp group and the Kalingga student and alumni community. At the same time, they expressed hopes that these relationships would extend beyond social ties and develop into a network that can support alumni, students, the university, and the wider community.

The feedback covered a range of areas, from strengthening alumni governance and data management to developing career networks, academic and research activities, the use of technology, and social initiatives. Broadly, the aspirations can be grouped into six key areas for development.

1. Strengthening Alumni Governance and Data Management

Alumni proposed regular data collection covering professional backgrounds, areas of expertise, locations, and the distribution of alumni, including those living overseas. Such data is expected to support communication and collaboration among alumni based on their respective expertise and professional backgrounds.

Other suggestions included strengthening communication infrastructure through an official website, appointing representatives for each cohort, and establishing communication guidelines for alumni groups. Alumni also proposed developing a shared identity through alumni uniforms or corsa, establishing an alumni association name, and forming a national association of linguistics scholars and alumni.

2. Developing Career Networks and Mentoring

The alumni network is expected to serve as a platform for sharing information on job opportunities, particularly for lecturers and researchers, as well as scholarships and further study opportunities. Alumni also proposed Alumni Sharing sessions and mentoring programs to facilitate the exchange of professional experiences and introduce current students to a range of career opportunities.

3. Strengthening Academic Engagement and Research Collaboration

Alumni proposed regular online academic discussions, held monthly or every three months, which could be organized based on geographic areas or specific fields of linguistics. These forums are expected to provide opportunities for alumni to remain engaged with developments in the field and exchange ideas.

Other proposals include collaborative academic writing, research consortia and groups, the publication of the Jurnal Kajian Linguistik, as well as national and international webinars, workshops, and linguistics conferences.

4. Responding to Developments in Digital Linguistics and AI

Alumni proposed strengthening learning opportunities related to Digital Linguistics, artificial intelligence (AI), Natural Language Processing (NLP), and large-scale text data analysis, including through the provision of relevant elective courses. These efforts are expected to broaden students’ and graduates’ competencies in responding to technological developments in language studies.

5. Expanding Alumni Access and Engagement

Online activities are considered important to enable alumni living outside Yogyakarta and overseas to continue participating. At the same time, alumni proposed annual gatherings or reunions, which could be held alongside linguistics conferences or community activities such as syawalan and buka bersama.

Alumni also emphasized the importance of inclusive participation, with the network open to all graduates regardless of their previous involvement in student organizations.

6. Encouraging Community Engagement through Social Initiatives

Alumni proposed that the network support community service and social initiatives through knowledge-based programs that benefit the wider community. Graduates, particularly scholarship recipients, are also expected to have opportunities to contribute to society through their knowledge, experience, and professional competencies.

The six areas identified—governance and data management, careers and mentoring, academic engagement and research, digital linguistics and AI, alumni access and engagement, and community service—can serve as considerations for the future development of alumni activities and organizational structures.

The survey findings provide a basis for understanding alumni aspirations and identifying activities that can be developed collaboratively. Through a well-maintained alumni network, connections among the university, students, alumni, and the wider community can continue to be strengthened.