The Faculty of Philosophy at Universitas Gadjah Mada (Philosophy UGM) has developed a special training program titled “Membangun Jiwa Merdeka Berbasis Filsafat dan Tasawuf” (Building an Independent Spirit Based on Philosophy and Sufism) through Training of Trainers (ToT) and coaching activities. This community service program was conducted in collaboration with Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Al Ghazali (UNUGHA) Cilacap and Institut Agama Islam KH. Sufyan Tsauri (INSIMA) Majenang at the INSIMA Majenang campus on Wednesday (Jun. 10).
Dr. Heri Santoso, a lecturer at Philosophy UGM, said the training program, which was initiated in 2019, has been implemented in various forms, including research, training, coaching, and community assistance.
“We are committed to producing future change-makers who are capable of developing human values, spirituality, and critical awareness within society,” said Dr. Santoso in a statement released on Monday (Jun. 17).
Through this community service initiative, Dr. Santoso said UGM seeks to create a learning space while also preparing prospective trainers who are competent in human development, grounded in philosophical reflection and spiritual values.
“We aim to open a space for dialogue between philosophy, Sufism, and self-development practices within the context of contemporary Indonesian society,” he explained.
Dr. Santoso stated that participants came from various backgrounds, including university leaders, lecturers, education staff, students, and prospective program facilitators. As a community assistance program, Coaching Building an Independent Spirit also seeks to stimulate inner awareness and does not focus solely on delivering materials. The program combines conceptual strengthening, self-reflection, coaching simulations, hands-on practice, and guidance in inner experiential learning for participants.
“The learning process is interactive, involving discussions, reflections, and exercises that encourage participants to rediscover their potential and the meaning of freedom in life,” he said.
During the program, Dr. Santoso added that a Cooperation Agreement was also signed among Philosophy UGM, INSIMA, UNUGHA, and Lembaga Pengembangan Pembelajaran dan Penjaminan Mutu (LP3M). This collaboration is expected to strengthen institutional capacity in education, research, community service, scientific publication, and academic network development.
“This inter-university collaboration is planned to continue expanding by involving various academic partners and community service initiatives,” he said.
Fahrur Rozi, M.Hum., Head of LP3M at UNUGHA, stated that the approach used in the Coaching Building an Independent Spirit program offers distinct advantages compared with many self-development methods currently available. He explained that the program seeks to provide a deeper approach grounded in religious values, reflection, and human inner awareness.
“In Indonesia, many solution models use hypnosis. However, the Coaching Building an Independent Spirit program is deeper because it is rooted in the values of Al-Fatihah, the Quran, Asmaul Husna, and the human conscience,” he emphasized.
Author: Ika Agustine/Gloria from Philosophy UGM
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photo: Donnie