For ten days from 10 to 20 September 2019, Osaka University, Japan, together with the Javanese Literature Study Program, Language and Literature Department, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada held a cultural collaboration program. This activity is the second time an Indonesian-Javanese cultural visit has been held between Osaka University and Universitas Gadjah Mada since 2017. During this visit, Dr. Yumi Sugahara as a student accompanying the lecturer brought a group of around 19 students. At the beginning of the visit, the Head of the Javanese Literature Study Program, Dr. Sri Ratna Saktimulya, M.Hum. warmly welcomed the visit with 26 Javanese Literature students and their prospective companions at the Winotosastro hotel.
The activity began with the opening of the event in the Multimedia Room, 2nd floor of the Margono Building FIB UGM. The event was opened by the Dean of FIB, Dr. Wening Udasmoro, M.Hum., DEA, and continued with an introduction to Japanese culture. While in Yogyakarta, the Osaka student group studied at FIB and outside FIB. Visits to several cultural sites such as Borobudur Temple, Prambanan Temple, Pakualaman Temple, Yogyakarta Palace, and Imogiri Cemetery have encouraged them to learn about the culture contained in each destination. For example, when they visited Pakualaman Temple, they learned how to make batik and Jemparingan (a traditional archery sport in Java). Apart from that, when they were at FIB UGM, they also learned about puppets and how to play Javanese gamelan.
While they were in Yogyakarta, Osaka students also conducted interviews to practice their fluency in Indonesian. To realize this goal, they formed small groups to interview Javanese Literature students and also the people around where they were staying. The interview topics raised included the lives of Indonesian people, from a healthy lifestyle, and traffic, to the news media in Indonesia. Indirectly, it sharpens them to speak Indonesian well. The results of the interview were then compiled into a slide which was presented at the closing of the student visit to Osaka University.
The closing of the Osaka University Cultural Visit event was held on September 19, 2019 in the Multimedia Room, 2nd Floor, Margono Building. The closing ceremony began with the distribution of certificates and their scores while studying in Yogyakarta. After that, the event continued with presentations from Osaka University students regarding the results of their interviews. After the presentation, Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, M. Hum. as Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs closed the event while advising that the collaboration between Universita Gadjah Mada and Osaka University in terms of cultural exchange should continue to be developed in the future. Not only that, the closing ceremony also presented performances from Javanese Literature students and students from Osaka University itself. Some of the performances included: traditional dances by Javanese Literature students; Japanese singing and dancing by students of Osaka University; an Indonesian-language song composed by Osaka University students specially dedicated for the closing ceremony, and a farewell song sung in bilingual (Javanese and Indonesian) by students of Javanese Literature and Osaka University interspersed with poetry readings by students of Osaka University. The event officially ended with selfies and meals.
