West Java, October 29, 2025 – The Curriculum Team of the Arabic Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), took part in the Curriculum Standards Assessment Workshop organized by UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon. The event gathered 19 Arabic Language and Literature study programs from various universities under both the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology and the Ministry of Religious Affairs. 

Participating universities included Universitas Gadjah Mada, UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Universitas Hasanuddin, UIN Alauddin Makassar, Universitas Muslim Indonesia, Sekolah Tinggi Dirasat Islamiyah Imam Syafi’i Jember, STAI Riyadlul ‘Ulum Tasikmalaya, UIN Raden Fatah Palembang, UIN Raden Mas Said Surakarta, UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya, UIN Sunan Gunung Djati, UIN Satu Tulungagung, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Sunan Giri, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Universitas Al-Azhar Indonesia, UIN Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten, and UIN Salatiga. This broad participation reflects a shared commitment to strengthening inter-institutional collaboration in shaping a modern and adaptive approach to Arabic language education in response to contemporary challenges.

The opening ceremony, held at the 8th floor auditorium of the SBSN Siber Building, was attended by faculty leaders and members of the Ittihad Aqsam al-Lughah al-‘Arabiyyah wa Adabiha (IQLAB) central board. In his address, Dr. Uki Sukiman (UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta), Chairperson of IQLAB Indonesia, emphasized the growing importance of synergy among Arabic Language and Literature study programs in advancing both academic excellence and institutional development. The workshop was officially inaugurated by Dr. Wakhid Nashruddin, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs at UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati, who highlighted the urgency of curriculum evaluation as a strategic step to enhance graduate competitiveness.

The sessions continued with curriculum development and assessment discussions led by Haeruddin, M.A. (Universitas Hasanuddin), Head of the Curriculum and Quality Assurance Division at IQLAB, who presented the concept of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) and stressed the importance of continuous assessment in curriculum improvement.

On the second day, participants conducted self-assessments of their respective study programs and endorsed two key documents: the Curriculum Development Guidelines and the Curriculum Draft Assessment Manual. Both documents were signed by all participants and officially ratified by Dr. Uki Sukiman, M.Ag, Chairperson of IQLAB Indonesia, accompanied by Siti Aminah, S.S., M.A. from Universitas Gadjah Mada, who serves as IQLAB’s Secretary General.

Beyond the academic agenda, the workshop also served as a platform to foster camaraderie and collaboration among institutions. To close the event, participants explored Cirebon’s rich cultural heritage through visits to Kasepuhan Palace and Masjid Sang Cipta Rasa, followed by a culinary experience featuring the city’s signature dish, empal gentong, at Krucuk.

Through this workshop, IQLAB Indonesia and participating institutions reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the quality of Arabic Language and Literature education in Indonesia, fostering inter-institutional partnerships, and aligning curricula with the evolving demands of the modern world and global educational standards.

Author: Siti Aminah, S.S.,M.A.

Yogyakarta, November 3, 2025 – The Arabic Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, continued its tenth session of the Entrepreneurship course with the theme “Optimizing Digital Potential in Business Development.” This session built upon the previous meeting’s topic, focusing on the use of digital media for business promotion but with a more practical and creative approach through a review of student group assignments.

In this meeting, lecturer and guest speaker Reisa Nurma Boruregar, S.S., centered the discussion on reviewing students’ creative video projects that illustrated their personal five-year life plans. Through this assignment, students were encouraged to project their future goals—such as graduation targets, plans for pursuing a master’s degree, or professional career aspirations—and transform these ideas into engaging and innovative visual content.

The assignment aimed to train students in building personal branding and self-promotion through digital media, aligning with the current professional landscape that values online presence and digital identity. Each group presented their video projects in class and received direct feedback from Reisa and their peers on aspects such as visual presentation, narrative flow, and communication strategy.

Through this tenth session, Arabic Literature students gained deeper insights into digital promotion strategies while applying them in a personal and reflective context. This project-based learning approach also demonstrated that the Entrepreneurship course in Arabic Literature UGM goes beyond theory, emphasizing hands-on creativity and digital literacy as essential skills for modern graduates.

The course also contributes to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) by fostering practical, 21st-century skill-based learning; SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by preparing students to thrive in creative and digital industries; and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by promoting the use of technology and innovation in sustainable self-development and entrepreneurship.

[Arabic Literature, Muhammad Ardiansyah]

Yogyakarta, October 27, 2025 – The Arabic Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, continued its Entrepreneurship course series with the ninth session, featuring an inspiring guest speaker, Reisa Nurma Boruregar, S.S., a young entrepreneur, digital marketing practitioner, and proud alumni of the study program. In this session, Reisa delivered a lecture titled “Developing Entrepreneurship through Digital Promotion,” which focused on strategies for marketing, branding, and leveraging digital media to build sustainable businesses.

Reisa began the lecture by sharing her personal journey of starting a business from scratch, from selling products through BlackBerry Messenger to managing multiple ventures such as ReisaGarage, Jogja Nasi Bento, and Layana Indonesia. She emphasized the importance of adaptability to changes in social media algorithms and digital trends. According to her, one of the most common mistakes entrepreneurs make is their reluctance to evolve with technology and digital advertising trends, even though these are crucial to maintaining business relevance in today’s market.

Students were guided to understand how to choose the right sales platforms, identify target markets, and find products and suppliers aligned with consumer demand. Reisa also introduced various digital tools that can be used for market research, identifying trending products, and analyzing high-performing content on platforms such as TikTok and Shopee.

The session also explored effective digital marketing strategies, both paid and unpaid. Reisa explained that paid promotions could include collaborative content (collab posts), endorsements, affiliate marketing systems, and paid digital advertisements. Meanwhile, unpaid promotions could be optimized through organic content that is relatable, entertaining, inspiring, informative, visually engaging, and encourages audience interaction.

In addition to promotional strategies, Reisa also discussed the importance of setting realistic pricing structures based on production, operational, tax, commission, and profit margin considerations. Students were encouraged to think strategically about pricing and sales targets to achieve sustainable business growth.

Through this session, Arabic Study Program students not only learned about digital marketing techniques but also discovered how creativity and digital literacy can be transformed into tangible economic strength.

This course actively supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) by providing practical entrepreneurial education, SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by fostering tech-savvy young entrepreneurs, and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) through the application of digital innovation in developing competitive and sustainable business models.

[Arabic Literature, Muhammad Ardiansyah]

Yogyakarta, October 20, 2025 – The Arabic Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, continued its eighth session of the Entrepreneurship course with lecturer Diyah Wikan Rakhmatika, S.S., M.A.. This session carried the theme “Business Funding Opportunities”, focusing on strategies to acquire, manage, and utilize financial resources effectively and ethically to support business sustainability.

In her presentation, Diyah explained that funding is a fundamental aspect of business continuity and growth. She emphasized that a successful entrepreneur is not only one who can generate creative ideas but also one who can manage finances wisely and determine the right funding strategy. Students were introduced to two main sources of business capital — internal funding (personal savings, reinvested profits, and support from family or friends) and external funding (banks, investors, venture capital, crowdfunding, Islamic financing, and government grants).

Furthermore, Diyah highlighted the importance of preparing a compelling and credible business proposal as a key to attracting investors. A well-crafted proposal, she noted, should clearly present the business vision, market potential, financial projections, and realistic return plans. She also underscored the principles of transparency, accountability, and Islamic ethics in financial management to ensure that businesses operate honestly, fairly, and sustainably.

The session also explored real-world funding practices in Indonesia, such as the government’s Kredit Usaha Rakyat (KUR) program, venture capital schemes from institutions like East Ventures and Mandiri Capital Indonesia, as well as donation- and investment-based crowdfunding models. Through case studies, students were encouraged to identify opportunities and challenges in funding initiatives relevant to literature- and language-based entrepreneurship, including independent publishing, digital literacy content creation, and language learning platforms.

This session provided valuable insights for Arabic Study Program students to develop businesses that are not only intellectually creative but also financially robust. By understanding sustainable business funding strategies, students are expected to design independent, ethical, and impact-driven entrepreneurial models.

The course also supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) through practical entrepreneurship education, SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by fostering competitive young entrepreneurs, and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by promoting innovation and sustainable resource management.

[Arabic Literature, Muhammad Ardiansyah]

Yogyakarta, October 7, 2025 – Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has once again achieved an outstanding milestone in the global education arena. According to the 2025 EduRank global ranking, UGM secured the first position in Indonesia and ranked 564th in the world, placing it among the top 50% of universities across 186 research fields.

This achievement serves as tangible evidence of UGM’s consistency in realizing quality education (SDG 4) through strengthened research, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. EduRank recorded a total of 58,718 academic publications and 317,379 citations affiliated with UGM, reflecting the university’s significant contribution to global knowledge development.

The ranking was determined based on three main factors: research performance, non-academic reputation, and the impact of its alumni. The contributions of 101 distinguished alumni further enhance UGM’s influence in building sustainable partnerships and collaborations across various sectors, aligning with the spirit of partnerships for the goals (SDG 17).

Moreover, this accomplishment also reflects UGM’s commitment to promoting innovation and resilient infrastructure (SDG 9) through impactful research that directly benefits society. By prioritizing solution-oriented and relevant studies, UGM continues to play an active role in fostering innovations that support sustainable development in Indonesia and beyond.

Through this achievement, UGM reaffirms its dedication to strengthening the role of higher education in shaping an inclusive, innovative, and sustainable future for all.

[Public Relations of Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM – Alma Syahwalani]