The Beginning of the Journey: From Instagram to London
Tsania’s interest in IISMA began in 2021, at the start of her university years. A post she saw on a senior’s Instagram sparked her curiosity, prompting her to explore more through UGM’s OIA social media and various other sources. From the beginning, Tsania had always dreamed of joining a student exchange program. So, she began to seriously attend IISMA info sessions and prepare herself to apply in 2024.

That motivation didn’t come out of nowhere. Since high school, Tsania had been interested in student exchanges because she wanted to experience firsthand what education systems and cultures abroad were like. She believed that cross-cultural experiences would enrich her perspective, both personally and academically. Seeing IISMA as a golden opportunity, she committed herself wholeheartedly to the process. read more

Paris and Le Havre, France — From March 5 to 7, 2025, the international conference “The Rise of Asia” took place, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the 1955 Asian-African Conference and continuing the Bandung Spirit Movement. Day one was held in Paris, followed by sessions in Le Havre for the remaining two days, serving as a crucial forum for developing countries to collaborate on creating a more just, inclusive, and sustainable global future.

Since its launch in 2015, The Rise of Asia Conference has consistently emphasized solidarity, cooperation, and decolonization. This year, it reinforced its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the foundation of global development initiatives. A key agenda was the establishment of the University of New Emerging Forces (UNEFO) in Koudougou, Burkina Faso, supporting SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), and SDGs 10 and 11 (Reducing Inequality and Building Sustainable Communities). Notably, a student from UGM’s Department of Architecture and Planning (DTAP), Bening Putri Kasandra, contributed to the library design team for UNEFO, incorporating Burkina Faso’s local values and embodying the Asia-Africa spirit. read more

The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995 marked a turning point for Kobe City, transforming it into a center for expertise in safety management, particularly in disaster prevention and mitigation. Over the years, Kobe has become a hub for national and international organizations, institutions, researchers, and academics seeking to learn from the advanced safety management systems developed in response to the disaster.

As part of the Asian Cooperative Program (ACP), Kansai University of International Studies (KUISs) in Kobe, Japan, hosted an activity titled “The Japanese Safety Management and Japanese Culture.” This program ran from February 6 to 17, 2025, bringing together students from various ACP member universities, including Bramertha Salsabella Roseli (Mertha), a student from the Department of Architecture and Planning. The initiative aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as quality education (SDG 4), innovation in infrastructure (SDG 9), and fostering global partnerships (SDG 17). read more

On February 19–20, 2025, Dewi Afiliyani (PWK UGM 2021) had the remarkable opportunity to be part of the expert team in the international accreditation process conducted by ASIIN (Accreditation Agency for Study Programmes in Engineering, Informatics, Natural Sciences and Mathematics) for the Undergraduate and Master’s Programs in Urban and Regional Planning (PWK) at Universitas Brawijaya.

During the assessment, Dewi Afiliyani actively participated in discussions and evaluations alongside the international assessor team, which included academics and professionals from both Germany and Indonesia. The assessment was carried out by experts from renowned institutions, including: read more

The Ecobreeze Team won 1st place in the Paper Competition SIGMA 2025, organized by the SEG & HAGI Student Chapter of Universitas Padjadjaran on February 22, 2025. The team consists of Ilkarizia Etro Candra Gabesya (KPJ 2023), Mulky Djati Sabila (KPJ 2023), and Zuhud Ahnaf Fauzi (PWK 2022).

In this competition, the Ecobreeze Team presented a scientific paper titled “ECOBREEZE: An Adaptive, Educational, and Constructive Spatial Technology Program Based on Land Surface Temperature for Reducing Air Conditioning in Urban Heat Islands as a Representation of SDGs 11 and 13 in Surabaya.” This research highlights the impact of Urban Heat Island (UHI) in urban areas and offers a Land Surface Temperature (LST)-based solution to reduce dependence on air conditioning (AC). Through this approach, their research supports the achievement of SDGs 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDGs 13 (Climate Action). read more

A team of alumni from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) successfully earned an Honorable Mention in the EPOCH45 International Planning Competition, a multidisciplinary competition for students and young professionals in spatial planning for Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN). The competition was organized in collaboration between Diponegoro University and MARS Architects, aiming to find innovative solutions for urban and landscape development in the next phase of IKN’s construction. The award announcement took place on March 18, 2025, at Erasmus Huis, Royal Netherlands Embassy, Jakarta. read more

On March 7, 2025, the Doctoral Program of Architecture, DTAP FT UGM, held a Closed Examination for Doctoral Candidate Sri Sunarti with the dissertation titled “Owah Ora Malih, Malih Ora Owah, Malih: The Semiotic Meaning Behind Architectural Changes of the Pagelaran of the Yogyakarta Karaton in the 20th Century.”

As with previous royal palaces that have undergone changes, restorations, or renovations, the Pagelaran of the Yogyakarta Karaton also experienced significant transformations. While traditional environments of the Pagelaran are believed to remain unchanged, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwana VIII made a series of changes in the 20th century that re-established noble values. Therefore, the researcher views the concept of “owah” and “malih” (both referring to change) as compelling phenomena worth studying. read more

On January 13, 2025, the Doctoral Program of Architecture, DTAP FT UGM, held a Closed Examination for Doctoral Candidate Luhur Sapto Pamungkas with the dissertation titled “Socio-Cultural Values in the Model of Sustainable Urban Kampung in Yogyakarta City.”

This research was conducted to explore the factors influencing sustainable urban kampung (KUB), which were identified based on sustainable development theories and empirical facts from previous studies. The aim was to examine these factors and discover a formula for KUB. read more

As a form of appreciation for the dedication of students in designing and documenting the design process, the Architecture Study Program held a Design Process Competition. This competition assesses every step of the design process, from problem analysis, solution strategies, to exploration of alternative designs that are presented creatively and clearly.

Congratulations to the students who have shown the best progress in this competition! Hopefully this award will be a motivation to continue producing innovative and quality design work. read more

The campus environment, especially in the Department of Architecture and Planning (DTAP), has many empty spaces that have the potential to be activated as functional areas. One of them is the DTAP innercourt, an open space that is often underutilized. With an innovative design approach, this area can be transformed into a place that supports discussion activities, collaboration, and informal interactions between students and lecturers.

The need for small spaces that are flexible, multifunctional, and easy to move is relevant in the campus environment. These modular spaces can be adapted to maximize the use of the innercourt and other empty areas in DTAP. In addition to enriching the quality of space in the campus environment, modular design also provides flexibility for use in other locations as needed. read more