The Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), will hold a combined Final Semester Exam (FSE) through a joint proposal seminar on December 15–17, 2025. The event will be held in the Multimedia Room on the 2nd floor of the Margono Building, FIB UGM, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

This joint proposal seminar is the final exam for three courses, namely Philology Seminar, Linguistics Seminar, and Literature. Through this activity, students present their thesis proposals and explain the progress of their research.

During the event, lecturers from the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program are present as examiners and respondents. The lecturers provide comments, input, and constructive suggestions regarding the substance of the research, methodology, and direction of the students’ undergraduate thesis development.

This joint proposal seminar activity not only serves as a final semester academic evaluation, but also becomes a forum for scientific discussion between students and lecturers. Through this forum, students are expected to obtain comprehensive feedback to improve their thesis research.

This event is expected to help students finalize their thesis planning and implementation, while also improving the quality of research in the fields of Javanese language, literature, and culture.

Author : Haryo Untoro
Editor : Haryo Untoro

Shah Alam, 16 December 2025 – The Faculty of Cultural Sciences of Universitas Gadjah Mada, through its Arabic Literature Study Program, has established an academic collaboration with the Academy of Language Studies at Universiti Teknologi MARA. The meeting, held at the Academy of Language Studies Meeting Room at UiTM Shah Alam, focused on strengthening cooperation in education, research, and the exchange of academic communities between the two institutions.

The meeting took place from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. local time and was attended by academic leaders and lecturers from both sides. The UGM delegation was led by the Head of the Arabic Literature Study Program, Dr. Zulfa Purnamawati, S.S., M.Hum., while UiTM was represented, among others, by the Deputy Dean of the Academy of Language Studies, Prof. Ts. Dr. Janudin Sardi, and the Head of the Arabic Studies Department, Dr. Abdul Azim Mohamad Isa.

The event opened with remarks from the UiTM deanery, followed by the presentation of the purpose of the visit by the UGM delegation. A discussion then took place to explore forms of cooperation that could be implemented in the near future, before concluding with the signing of a cooperation agreement.

One of the main outcomes of the meeting was an agreement to begin an online faculty exchange program in March 2026. This program will involve Dr. Mohamad Nor Amin Samsun Baharun from UiTM and Dr. Zulfa Purnamawati in the Balaghah, or stylistics, course.

In addition, both parties are still in negotiation regarding further faculty exchanges in the fields of Arabic literature and culture in Indonesia and Malaysia. Student exchanges were also agreed to be conducted on a reciprocal basis in accordance with mutually agreed mechanisms.

In the area of research, UiTM expressed its interest in establishing collaborative studies on several topics, including Arabic pragmatics, Arabic literature, Javanese philology, and English language studies. This cooperation is also directed toward joint publications, such as poetry and pantun anthologies, as a form of academic and cultural collaboration. The meeting also discussed plans for the organization of international seminars.

This cooperation is expected not only to strengthen cross-border academic networks but also to encourage sustainable exchanges of knowledge and cultural understanding. Through collaboration in education and research, both institutions aim to contribute to the development of the humanities in ways that respond to global challenges and future societal needs.

[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]

Yogyakarta, December 18, 2025 – The Research and Publication Unit, together with the Journal and Publishing Bureau of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada, received an award as the second-best performer in the SINTA achievement category at the university level for 2025. The award was announced on Thursday, 18 December 2025, at Multimedia Room 1, North Wing, UGM Central Building, and was presented by the Vice Rector for Research, Business Development, and Cooperation.

This achievement is the result of a long-term process that has been underway since 2017 and has involved various stakeholders supporting the research ecosystem at the faculty, including lecturers, administrative staff, and external researchers. Continuous collaboration has served as the main foundation for building strong research and high-quality publication practices within the faculty.

Structurally, the Research and Publication Unit and the Journal and Publishing Bureau operate under the Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation, and Alumni Affairs. Both units play strategic roles in managing research and academic publications. The Research and Publication Unit oversees various research schemes and facilitates the acceleration of faculty publications through mentoring programs, intensive writing activities, technical workshops, as well as translation and proofreading services. In addition, the unit is responsible for entering research and publication data of faculty members and postgraduate students into various academic databases.

Meanwhile, the Journal and Publishing Bureau supports the management of faculty publication data in SINTA and Google Scholar, while also strengthening publication acceleration programs. These efforts include developing a journal database within the faculty’s academic fields, producing technical tutorials on writing and reference management, and providing guidance on journal selection and article submission. The bureau also organizes a range of workshops for lecturers and postgraduate students.

Diah, a member of the Research and Publication Unit team at FIB UGM, expressed the hope that this achievement would serve as a foundation for future research development. “Producing collaborative research that expands academic networks and exposure for scholars, thereby strengthening the credibility of FIB,” she said. In line with this view, Yoga from the Journal and Publishing Bureau team at FIB UGM emphasized the importance of joint efforts between the two units. “The synergy between these units in supporting research and publication can increase the number of scholarly works produced, while also strengthening FIB’s role so it can stand alongside and compete with STEM fields,” Yoga stated.

This award reaffirms FIB UGM’s commitment to building an inclusive and sustainable research culture. Through cross-functional collaboration and stronger publication governance, the faculty is expected to continue contributing to the advancement of knowledge with broad benefits for society and the future of higher education.

[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]

Shah Alam, 18 December 2025 – Three students from the Arabic Literature program at Universitas Gadjah Mada recorded notable achievements at the Modern Languages Olympiad 3.0, held at Universiti Teknologi MARA UiTM in Shah Alam, Malaysia. The international competition brought together participants from various countries in a series of multilingual contests, with the main events culminating on 18 December 2025.

In the Arabic Poetry Recital category, Pandhita Hapsari, an Arabic Literature student from the 2023 cohort, won first place and also received the award for Best Script. Another student, Muhammad Hayyi’ Rosyada from the 2024 cohort, secured third place in the same category. Meanwhile, Haris Arfakhsyadz Azka Maula, also from the 2024 cohort, achieved second place in the Arabic Champion Orator category and earned a special award for Best Impromptu Speech. Throughout their participation in Malaysia, the students were officially accompanied by Dr. Zurfa Purnamawati, M.Hum., a lecturer in Arabic Literature at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, who supported during the competition.

MLO 3.0 was organized by the Academy of Language Studies at UiTM as a language competition featuring four main categories: Malay, English, Arabic, and Mandarin. The event series began with participant registration on 30 October 2025, followed by video submissions for the preliminary round until 6 November 2025. The judging process took place from 10 to 15 November 2025, with the announcement of preliminary results on 18 November 2025. The face-to-face final round was held on 16 December 2025 and concluded with a closing ceremony the following day.

In its official description, the organizing committee stated that the Poetry Recital category is a multilingual poetry writing and recitation competition that encourages expression in multiple languages while celebrating cultural diversity and unity. The Orator Champion category is described as a multilingual speech competition that facilitates the exchange of ideas across traditions, enriching the cultural value of public speaking.

These achievements reflect the students’ strong academic capacity and competitive language skills at the international level. Active participation in global forums of this kind reinforces the role of language as a bridge for intercultural dialogue and highlights the importance of education development that promotes cross-national collaboration for a more sustainable future.

[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]

Yogyakarta, December 16, 2025 – The second session of the Neuroscience-Based Language Teaching Talk Show, themed Teaching with Emotion: How Affective Neuroscience Enhances Language, was held at R. Soegondo Building, Room 709, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada. The event discussed the role of emotions in language learning and how a neuroscience-based approach can improve teaching effectiveness.

Moderated by Reski Ramadhani, the talk show featured four speakers: Natasya Ayu, Asmaul Husna, Luailik Mushffa, and Tisa Aini. The discussion focused on teachers’ practical experiences in managing both student and teacher emotions while ensuring that academic objectives are achieved effectively.

One of the speakers, Asmaul Husna, shared her experience conducting a teaching experiment in a basic speaking class at Kampung Inggris. She compared two approaches implemented in different periods, namely a content-focused approach and an emotionally driven approach. “When we build emotional closeness with students, they feel truly valued,” Asmaul said. She added that students who received emotional support showed greater appreciation and more positive feedback at the end of the course.

Luailik Mushffa highlighted the challenges of applying a neuroscience-based approach in the classroom, particularly in relation to teachers’ emotional readiness. She explained that teachers need to regulate their emotions before teaching in order to create a positive learning atmosphere. “In this neuroscience approach, we focus on students’ emotions. However, teachers’ emotions also need to be managed before entering the classroom,” she explained. She also emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance between emotional management and the achievement of learning objectives.

Practical advice was delivered by Tisa Aini, who encouraged teachers to engage in self-reflection before teaching. “Please take five to ten minutes before entering the classroom for a self-check,” she said. According to her, teachers’ emotions are easily transmitted to students, making emotional stability a key foundation for creating a sense of safety in the learning process.

Meanwhile, Natasya Ayu stressed the importance of developing a positive mindset among students toward language learning. She reminded teachers not to frame language learning as something difficult and encouraged the use of contextual and realistic learning materials. In her view, making mistakes while speaking is a natural part of the journey toward language fluency.

Overall, the talk show illustrated that language teaching cannot be separated from emotional aspects, both for students and teachers. A more humane and emotionally aware approach is seen as essential in creating a supportive, sustainable learning environment that remains relevant to learners’ future needs.

[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]