Yogyakarta, March 3, 2025 – A choir composed of students, lecturers, and administrative staff enlivened the Open Senate Meeting celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences Universitas Gadjah Mada by performing two popular Indonesian songs, “Ondel-Ondel” and “Rumah Kita.” The performance created an atmosphere of togetherness while celebrating cultural diversity through specially prepared musical arrangements.

The performance was arranged and conducted by Muhammad Rasyid Ridho, who also served as the trainer and conductor. The choir was supported by several accompanying musicians, including Riski Puluhulawa on piano, Emilia Widya Pranasari on viola, Sekar Arrum Sri Kinanthi on violin, and Fairuz Aufa Anza on kendang.

The first song performed was “Ondel-Ondel,” popularized by Benyamin Sueb in 1971. The song is widely recognized as a lively representation of Betawi culture that developed amid the dynamic life of Jakarta. Through its simple yet energetic lyrics, the song portrays ondel-ondel as a cultural icon in the form of giant puppets that were once believed to symbolize protection for the community.

Over time, ondel-ondel has become not only part of tradition but also a symbol of identity and cultural pride for the Betawi people. The song also reminds audiences of the importance of appreciating cultural heritage and preserving local wisdom amid ongoing societal change.

The choir then performed “Rumah Kita,” a song popularized by Achmad Albar together with the legendary band God Bless. Widely known since the late 1980s, the song conveys a heartfelt message about the meaning of home as a space for togetherness.

In the context of the FIB UGM anniversary celebration, the song was interpreted as a symbol of unity among members of the academic community. The campus environment, particularly at Universitas Gadjah Mada, is seen as a shared home where people from diverse backgrounds come together to learn, create, and build their future.

This choir performance, involving members from different groups within the faculty, added vibrancy to the series of events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences. Through music and performing arts, messages about the importance of unity, respect for diversity, and the preservation of local culture were warmly conveyed to the audience. These values form an essential foundation for fostering an inclusive and sustainable academic community.

[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]

Yogyakarta, March 3, 2026 – The Head of the Department of Languages and Literature at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM), Professor Suhandano, highlighted the developments and challenges of language studies in the digital era. This scientific speech was delivered during the Open Senate Meeting commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the UGM Faculty of Cultural Sciences. In his address, he emphasized that linguistic studies possess a vast scope and significant potential to contribute to understanding various societal issues.

Professor Suhandano explained that contemporary language studies do not only focus on the internal structure of language but also on its relationship with various aspects of life. In micro-linguistics, research covers fields such as phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. Meanwhile, macro-linguistics examines language in connection with other disciplines, such as discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, neurolinguistics, anthropological linguistics, computational linguistics, and forensic linguistics.

According to Professor Suhandano, language as an object of study is dynamic and constantly evolves alongside societal changes. Consequently, perspectives in language study continue to expand as new issues emerge within social life.

He also touched upon the evolution of linguistic thought dating back to Ancient Greece. The philosopher Plato, for instance, questioned the relationship between words and the objects they name. From these thoughts, two distinct views emerged: one that perceives the relationship between words and objects as logical, and another that views it as arbitrary—formed through the consensus of the speech community.

Meanwhile, Aristotle viewed language as a tool for thought. He identified three main components in a proposition: onoma, rema, and logos, which in modern linguistic studies are equivalent to nouns, verbs, and sentences.

Professor Suhandano emphasized that language functions not only as a system of signs but also as a means to understand the world. “Language reflects how its speakers perceive the world and how they think about their surroundings,” he stated during the scientific speech.

This perspective opens opportunities for linguistic studies to contribute to various research themes relevant to societal needs. He cited that food security—a theme that might initially seem far removed from language studies—can actually be analyzed through a linguistic lens to understand how society perceives and discusses food.

To develop such studies, Professor Suhandano believes that cross-disciplinary collaboration is a vital step. “Linguistics needs to work hand-in-hand with other sciences to address these themes,” he noted.

On that occasion, he also highlighted the position of FIB UGM, which has long been recognized as a primary reference for the development of language studies in Indonesia. Numerous academic works produced by the faculty have become benchmarks in linguistic research, including M. Ramlan’s work on Indonesian morphology and syntax.

Interest in language studies at the faculty continues to grow. Students from various regions in Indonesia, and even from abroad, come to study linguistics with a diverse range of research topics.

As the faculty enters its 80th year, the construction of new buildings at FIB UGM is expected to support increasingly developing academic activities. With more adequate facilities, it is hoped that education, research, and community service activities can be carried out more optimally.

Amidst the rapid changes of the digital era, Professor Suhandano believes that language studies still hold great potential for growth. Through research and cross-disciplinary collaboration, linguistic studies are expected to provide meaningful contributions to understanding societal dynamics and encourage the development of knowledge that benefits collective life.

[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]

Human migration and displacement are increasingly relevant issues in this era of global cross-regional relations. On Friday, February 13, 2026, the Department of Anthropology at Gadjah Mada University held a film screening and discussion on this topic. When The Water Horse Seeks a New Home is a short film by director Andrianus “Oetjoe” Merdhi, who has produced many films about various communities in Indonesia. The film was also produced with the assistance of Gerhard Hoffstaedter from the University of Brisbane and Prof. Dr. Antje Missbach (Mbak Antje) from the University of Bielefeld. Broadly speaking, this film tells the story of the experiences of Rohingya refugees who crossed the sea to seek asylum in Aceh, Indonesia. The screening was attended by Mbak Antje and facilitated by Dr. Realisa Darathea Masardi (Mbak Lisa) as the event organizer from the Department of Anthropology at UGM.

The film begins with an exposition from the perspective of a Rohingya migrant who fled to Aceh. During their journey, the group faced many challenges, such as engine failure that forced them to drift at sea for several days, unable to control their direction. They received assistance from several patrol officers in the waters they crossed, but no one gave them permission to dock. After a long journey, they finally arrive on the coast of Aceh.

Upon arrival, many local residents express their rejection of their presence. During negotiations with residents over where to live, the refugees wait on the coast, near their boat, not allowed to go far. After that, they settle in a crowded and squalid refugee camp. The residents’ rejection was actually justified, due to concerns about the behavior of the Rohingya refugees. However, there were also residents who empathized with these refugees. After the refugees moved to the camp, he found a hippopotamus toy belonging to one of the refugee children. Some time later, he tried to return the toy, but it turned out that the child and her family had left the camp and could not be contacted.

The empathy shown stems from a sense of shared destiny, because he himself was once a refugee. The Aceh war forced him to leave his home and family. So, he has experienced what the Rohingya refugees are experiencing today. This perspective shows the human side of this conflict, and reveals that many similar experiences have been endured by communities in Indonesia itself.

After the screening, Ms. Antje opened a discussion and QnA session with the audience. A lively discussion ensued, focusing on how civilians can respond and help these refugees. The discussion also touched on how the state can handle this crisis, balancing the interests of its citizens with providing humanitarian assistance to refugees. After the discussion, the event concluded with the Department of Anthropology presenting a memento to Ms. Antje.

Author: Amadeus Abhirama Paramanindita

The Department of Anthropology is proud and delighted to announce the addition of two new lecturers who will strengthen academic activities, research, and community service within the study program. The presence of these two lecturers is expected to make a significant contribution to the development of anthropology and improve the quality of learning for students.

Both lecturers have academic backgrounds and research experience relevant to the field of anthropology. With their expertise, they are expected to enrich scientific perspectives, encourage research collaboration, and bring innovative learning approaches to the classroom.

The first lecturer to join is Dr. Des Christy, S.Ant., M.A., a PhD graduate from Radboud University Nijmegen with a dissertation titled “Navigating Shifting Tides: The Sociality of Fishing in North Shields, UK, in the face of the EU Common Fisheries Policy” and has participated in a postdoctoral researcher program at the Nijmegen School of Management. Her areas of interest include maritime anthropology, environmental governance, urban sustainability, and ethnography in Europe. Second, Michael Haryo Bagus Raditya, M.A., who is currently completing his studies in the Doctoral Program at the Asia Institute, Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. His research interests include dangdut, popular music studies, ethnomusicology, performing arts, performance studies, contemporary dance, anthropology of art, and Asian cultural studies.

The addition of these lecturers is part of efforts to strengthen the academic capacity of the study program. Hopefully, their presence can provide new energy for scientific development, improve the quality of education, and expand research and cooperation networks. In addition, students are also expected to take advantage of this opportunity to learn from the experience and expertise of the new lecturers, whether through lectures, research activities, or academic discussions. With the addition of these two new lecturers, the Anthropology Study Program is optimistic that it can continue to grow and make a broader contribution to the development of science and understanding of social and cultural dynamics in society.

Yogyakarta, March 3, 2026 – Coinciding with its 80th anniversary, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) at Universitas Gadjah Mada launched a historical book titled Mengeja Waktu Merajut Warna, 80 Tahun Perjalanan Fakultas Ilmu Budaya Universitas Gadjah Mada. The book was presented to the Chair of the FIB Senate, Professor Bambang Hudayana, M.A., and UGM Rector Professor Ova Emilia, Ph.D., as part of an effort to document the faculty’s long journey in developing literary and cultural studies in Indonesia.

The book was written by a team consisting of Abdul Wahid, Tatag Andriawan, Soraya Anugra Lia, and Lenna Aurelia Amalia. Although the writing process was completed within a relatively short period, it is expected to serve as an initial step in reconstructing the institutional history of FIB UGM over the past eight decades.

In the book’s introduction, the authors explain that this work represents an early effort to document more comprehensively the history of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences as one of Indonesia’s oldest higher education institutions in the fields of literature and culture. Through this historical exploration, the book also seeks to understand the meaning behind the transformations experienced by the faculty over time.

“This book is the first attempt to comprehensively reconstruct the 80-year journey of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences as the oldest higher education institution in Indonesia in the field of literature and culture, while also seeking meaning from this long historical process,” the authors wrote.

As a study of institutional history, the book explains the development of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at UGM as an organization shaped by internal dynamics as well as external changes, including government policies, developments in higher education, and social dynamics. The institutional history approach does not merely record a chronology of events but also explains how an institution evolves and responds to changes over time.

Writing institutional history also plays an important role in preserving institutional memory. This memory includes physical aspects such as buildings, classrooms, organizational structures, and institutional artifacts, as well as non-physical aspects such as norms, rules, and workplace culture that develop within the institution.

For an academic institution, institutional memory has strategic value as it provides a basis for reflection in understanding the formation of collective identity while helping to shape future development.

In its preparation, the book was written chronologically to help readers understand the faculty’s development. The periodization used in the book is based on the changes in the faculty’s name throughout its history.

The discussion is divided into four main chapters. The first chapter covers the early development period from 1946 to 1955. The second chapter discusses the period of the Faculty of Letters and Culture from 1955 to 1982. The third chapter explores the Faculty of Letters period from 1982 to 2001. The fourth chapter discusses the Faculty of Cultural Sciences period from 2001 to 2025.

The authors acknowledge that the book still has limitations and does not yet fully capture the complexity of the faculty’s long history. Therefore, they hope the publication will serve as a starting point for more in-depth research on institutional and academic development within FIB UGM.

“We realize that this book is far from complete, let alone perfect. With humility, we hope it will receive constructive input so that it can be improved in the future,” the authors wrote.

The authors also expressed their gratitude to various parties who supported the writing process, particularly the FIB UGM Dean’s Office for the 2021–2026 period, which entrusted the team with the project.

The publication of this book is expected to serve as a reflection for the academic community to better understand the institution’s journey while strengthening its commitment to advancing knowledge, culture, and academic contributions to society.

[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]