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.
Although various scholarly works have explored the Yogyakarta Karaton as a center of Javanese cultural studies, research focusing on the meaning behind the significant changes of the Pagelaran in the 20th century remains scarce. Thus, this study aims to uncover the semiotic meanings behind the transformations that occurred in that period.
(taken from the dissertation abstract by Sri Sunarti, 2025, p. xiii)
The Closed Examination was attended by:
Ir. Deva Fosterharoldas Swasto, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., IPM. – Head of Department, Prof. Ir. Wiendu Nuryanti, M.Arch., Ph.D. – Head of Study Program, Prof. Ir. Sudaryono, M.Eng, Ph.D., IPU. – Promoter, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ir. Eugenius Pradipto – Co-Promoter, Ir. Ikaputra, M.Eng., Ph.D. – Examiner 1, Diananta Pramitasari, S.T., M.Eng., Ph.D. – Examiner 2, and Dr. Ir. Revianto Budi Santoso, M.Arch. – External Examiner from Universitas Islam Indonesia.
The Closed Examination was conducted offline in the 2nd Floor Meeting Room, Department of Architecture and Planning Engineering, FT UGM.
Source: https://s3.archiplan.ugm.ac.id/2025/03/21/ujian-tertutup-sri-sunarti/