Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), through the Faculty of Engineering (FT UGM), has once again demonstrated its commitment to international collaboration in the conservation of cultural heritage.
This year, UGM participated in the UNESCO-NUS-SEU Field School 2025, themed “Cultural Heritage and Climate Change in Asia: Impacts, Adaptation, and Mitigation,” held from Sept. 20 to 28, 2025, in Nanjing and Yangzhou, China.
UGM is one of the universities in the UNESCO Chair in Heritage Cities Conservation and Management (UC-HCCM) network, along with several other Asian universities with similar mandates in cultural heritage preservation.
Dr. Laretna Trisnantari Adishakti, a lecturer at the Department of Architecture and Planning and a member of UC-HCCM UGM, explained that through this network, UGM actively contributes to strengthening academic and professional capacities in heritage city conservation.
“UGM’s involvement under the UNESCO Chair illustrates how the university plays a role in fostering cross-national understanding of sustainable urban heritage conservation,” said Dr. Adishakti on Monday (Oct. 6).
During the program, Dr. Adishakti, known as Sita, contributed as an instructor in a session on indigenous local knowledge. Her lecture highlighted the importance of local knowledge systems as key strategies in preserving cultural heritage amid the challenges of climate change.
Vanya Putri Damayanti, a UGM Master’s student in Architecture who was selected as one of the participants, shared that UGM students’ participation in this program reflects the synergy between education and research practiced at the university.
She emphasized that the guidance of academic supervisors plays a crucial role in preparing students both methodologically and in developing their sensitivity to sociocultural contexts.
“From Dr. Sita, I learned to view heritage issues not only from theory but also from the living local values within the community,” said Damayanti.
UGM’s active participation in the field school reflects the university’s consistent commitment to experiential learning. Damayanti noted that through the program, she gained new insights and the opportunity to take an active role in addressing global challenges.
“Learning directly in the field helped me understand how conservation theories can be applied in real contexts,” she added.
In addition to participating in the UNESCO-NUS-SEU Field School, UGM also regularly organizes similar international programs, such as the International Jogja Field School on the Cosmological Axis of Yogyakarta and Its Historic Landmarks.
This program serves as a platform for cross-country exchange of experiences in heritage area management and the strengthening of academic networks.
“Through such collaborations, we can learn from each other about how to keep cultural heritage alive and relevant,” Damayanti said.
Through its active engagement in the UNESCO Chair network, UGM reaffirms its commitment to becoming a center for collaborative research and education in heritage city conservation in Asia.
Looking ahead, the university seeks to expand its network and strengthen inter-university partnerships to build a sustainable future for the world’s cultural heritage.
“I am proud to be a small part of UGM’s greater effort to preserve and revitalize our cultural heritage,” concluded Damayanti.
The program, organized by UNESCO in collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Southeast University (SEU), gathered 29 students from seven universities across Asia, including UGM, Ritsumeikan University, Korea National University of Heritage, Universiti Malaya, and Silpakorn University.
Participants took part in a series of thematic lectures, workshops, and field visits to historic sites, including the Grand Canal and Dongguan Garden Residences.
Author: Triya Andriyani
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photograph: Vanya Putri Damayanti