Student dormitories are one of the residential facilities provided by Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) for new students to adapt and socialize with peers from different regions.
At least eight student dormitories are managed by the UGM Residence unit. Students from various regions are given the opportunity to socialize with fellow students from other areas.
They are also invited to showcase their regional culture and arts through the 14th Cultural Festival (Culfest), held on May 17-18, 2025, at Grha Sabha Pramana on the UGM Campus.
Getta Ayu Kurniaputri, a UGM Vocational College (SV UGM) student from the 2024 cohort, and one of the winners of the 14th Cultural Festival Prince and Princess competition representing Central Java province, admitted to gaining very valuable and unforgettable experiences.
“Besides meeting many new friends from various regions and cultural backgrounds, I also learned a lot about how to interact and work together in an atmosphere full of diversity,” said Kurniaputri, who won Putri Intelegensia (Miss Intellegence) in this event.
Najwa Putri Anastasia Laoh, a Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB UGM) student from Central Sulawesi province, expressed similar sentiments.
She was delighted to learn about various new cultures from the cultural exhibition displayed by other regional student organizations.
“Hopefully, with this event, students will become more aware of Indonesian culture, so we can jointly introduce and preserve Indonesian culture itself,” Laoh said.
The General Coordinator of Cultural Festival 14, Faris Zakiy Ramadhan, stated that this year’s cultural festival carried the theme “Exploring Culture: Abhinaya Wiyata Collaboration in the Splendor of Nusantara Diversity.”
It aimed to preserve, nurture, and understand the rich regional cultures of one another.
“This festival is not just an event. It is a celebration of culture, a platform to commemorate and appreciate the vast and beautiful diversity of our domestic culture. Since 2011, the Cultural Festival has continuously served as a cultural stage,” Ramadhan said in his speech on May 17.
UGM Vice-Rector for Research, Business Development, and Partnerships, Dr. Danang Sri Hadmoko, stated that UGM, as a University of Cultural Center, is responsible for preserving the nation’s rich arts and culture.
“Activities like this demonstrate our concern as part of the extended family of Universitas Gadjah Mada towards efforts to preserve the nation’s culture,” Dr. Hadmoko noted.
UGM Residence Manager, Wijayanti, said that interaction and collaboration among students from various regions within UGM are becoming closer with this routine cultural festival activity.
“We also invite friends from regional student organizations to come together to preserve and celebrate Indonesian culture,” Wijayanti said.
The series of activities presented in Cultural Festival 14 included collaborative art performances between dormitories and various traditional art performances by students.
It also featured interactive exhibitions representing the cultural richness and distinctive characteristics of each province, as well as a talk show with Danang Giri Sadewa.
The climax of the event was the selection of the Cultural Festival 14 Prince and Princess. The implementation of Cultural Festival 14 was not merely a show.
Instead, it served as an educational space that strengthened intercultural dialogue and the academic world.
UGM Residence is committed to continuously fostering and nurturing a learning ecosystem that not only encourages academic achievement but also instills care for cultural roots.
Activities like this are expected to foster student character to always uphold Indonesian national values.
Author: Lintang Andwyna
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya