In preparation for the submission period of research and community service proposals at BIMA Kemdiktisaintek 2025, Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian Masyarakat (LPPM) of Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Sunan Giri (UNUGIRI) organized a webinar series titled “Ngabuburit BIMA Series.” Held every Monday and Thursday during Ramadan, the series featured various speakers, including Dr. Yani Rahmawati, S.T., M.T., a lecturer in the Department of Architecture and Planning (DTAP), Chief Editor Indonesian Journal of Community Engagement (JPkM UGM), and Managing Editor of the Journal of Community Service, Research, Creativity, Innovation, and Appropriate Technology (Parikesit Journal, UGM), who spoke in Series #5 on Monday, March 24, 2025.
Guest Lecture on Urban Design Methods: Introduction to Space Syntax in Architecture and Urban Design
On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, the Master of Urban Design Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada invited Widi Cahya Yudhanta, S.T., M.Sc. as a guest lecturer for the Urban Design Methods course. The lecture was held offline in Lecture Room 1, 3rd Floor, and was mandatory for first-semester students of the even-year 2024 intake. During the session, Widi Cahya introduced the use of Space Syntax in architecture and urban design. Space Syntax is a set of analytical techniques used to study spatial layouts and human activity patterns within buildings and urban areas. In the fields of architecture and urban design, Space Syntax serves as a tool to identify systems, patterns, and spatial structures.
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.
Yogyakarta, Friday, April 11, 2025 — The Undergraduate Program in Architecture and the Professional Program for Architect (PPAr) at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) continue to support student learning by organizing educational events that stay in tune with industry trends. One such event, Archilecture, is an academic forum held by the UGM Architecture Department. This time, it was held in collaboration with PERAFI (Perkumpulan Ahli Fasad Indonesia) and Asahimas Flat Glass. The forum featured expert speakers: Fibra Reelianto (Chairman of PERAFI), Timothy Soebroto (Regional Director of Meinhardt Facade Technology), and Leonardo Pranata (Strategic Product Sales at PT Asahimas Flat Glass). The session was moderated by UGM Architecture lecturer, Kadek Indira.
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.
Lecturers of the Master of Urban Design Program, Ir. Ikaputra, M.Eng., Ph.D., and Dr. Dyah Titisari Widyastuti, S.T., MUDD, have published a scholarly article titled “Marginalized Modern Architectural Heritage in Indonesia: The Case of Transformator Huisje (Electric Substation) Architecture of the Nederlandsche Indisch Era.” The article was published by Elsevier in the journal Frontiers of Architectural Research, Volume 14, Issue 3, June 2025, on pages 596–613.
This article presents research on transformator huisje (electric substations) as part of the history of modern architecture in Indonesia. The study explores the historical background of these structures with the aim of uncovering whether transformator huisje architecture can be classified as Modern Heritage.
Yogyakarta – The First Committee of the Regional Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia (DPD RI) held a working meeting as part of its recess agenda for Session III of the 2024–2025 Legislative Year. The meeting, conducted on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at the DPD RI Regional Office in Yogyakarta, aimed to gather insights and conduct a review of the implementation of Law No. 26 of 2007 on Spatial Planning.
Prof. Bakti Setiawan (Prof Bobi) from the Department of Architecture and Planning, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), was invited as one of the key resource persons. His presence was requested directly by Committee I member, Her Highness Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Hemas, to provide academic insights regarding spatial planning developments in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, particularly in the context of Law No. 11 of 2020 on Job Creation, which amended several provisions of the Spatial Planning Law.
Yogyakarta, April 9, 2025 — The Master’s Program in Urban and Regional Planning (MPWK) at Universitas Gadjah Mada conducted an interview with a prospective student from Timor-Leste as part of the 2025/2026 academic year student admission process. The interview was carried out by the Head of the MPWK Program, Dr.Eng. Muhammad Sani Roychansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IAP, representing the program in selecting international candidates for the Special Scholarship for Postgraduate Students.
This interview served as a key step in the scholarship selection process, which is the result of a collaboration between Universitas Gadjah Mada and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Culture of Timor-Leste, initiated in November 2024. The program aims to provide opportunities for outstanding Timorese students to pursue graduate studies at UGM.
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).
On February 22–23, 2025, eight students from the 2024 cohort of the Tourism Architecture Concentration, Master’s Program in Architecture, DTAP UGM, visited Samarang Station, Kampung Spoorland, East Semarang, for a field study. This activity was accompanied by Ir. Ikaputra, M.Eng., Ph.D. (lecturer at DTAP UGM) and was part of the learning process for the Tourism Architecture Studio 1 course. For the students taking this course, the visit to Samarang Station aimed to: (1) enhance academic insight in the field of architectural research, particularly in tourism architecture; (2) understand the current condition of the Samarang Station area in terms of nature, physical environment, architecture, and local society; and (3) directly practice theoretical studies of tourism architecture in the Samarang Station area. From the field observation and literature review activities related to Samarang Station, the students obtained various visual and textual data. These data will then be processed in the Tourism Architecture Studio 1 course for the development of a heritage architecture concept of Samarang Station as a tourist destination