The Faculty of Languages and Arts (FBS) at Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) has once again achieved a notable accomplishment in the national education landscape. Sugiyanto, S.Sn., M.Sn., a lecturer from the Sendratasik Education Study Program at FBS UNNES, has been entrusted to teach the Gamelan course at the Music Study Program, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Satya Wacana Christian University (UKSW) Salatiga, for the odd semester of the 2026/2027 academic year. This trust reflects the recognition of the competence and excellence of UNNES lecturers, who are increasingly relied upon by other educational institutions across the country.
The teaching request was directly conveyed by the Head of the Music Study Program at UKSW, Dr. Rachel Mediana Untung, S.Sos., M.A., to FBS UNNES. According to her, Sugiyanto’s expertise in karawitan (Javanese traditional music) and gamelan is considered highly relevant to the curriculum needs of the UKSW Music Study Program, which aims to enrich students’ understanding of traditional Nusantara music, particularly Javanese gamelan. “We see Sugiyanto as a lecturer with extraordinary capacity in the field of karawitan. His experience and dedication in preserving gamelan art were the main reasons we requested him to teach directly in our study program,” said Dr. Rachel Mediana Untung.
Sugiyanto, S.Sn., M.Sn., is no stranger to the world of karawitan and traditional music education. His track record in the field of karawitan and traditional vocal arts has been widely recognized, including when he was trusted as the main judge in the Macapat Student Competition for elementary school level at the Grebeg Suro Ponorogo 2026 event. The trust placed by the community and various institutions in Sugiyanto further solidifies UNNES’s position as a university that produces excellent and competitive human resources at both national and international levels.
The collaboration between UNNES and UKSW in the field of music education aligns with the spirit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 4 on Quality Education, which emphasizes inclusive, equitable, and sustainable higher education. Furthermore, this inter-institutional collaboration also supports SDGs Goal 17 on Partnerships for the Goals, which promotes cross-institutional collaboration in strengthening educational capacity and knowledge exchange.
The Gamelan course taught by Sugiyanto at UKSW is designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the theory, techniques, and practice of Javanese gamelan as one of Indonesia’s intangible cultural heritage. The presence of a UNNES lecturer among UKSW students also serves as a means of exchanging knowledge and experiences between students from two different universities, while simultaneously strengthening the academic network between UNNES and UKSW.
FBS UNNES through the Sendratasik Education Study Program continues to be committed to encouraging its lecturers to actively contribute to various educational institutions and the wider community. The trust given by UKSW to Sugiyanto is tangible evidence that UNNES lecturers are not only excellent in teaching on their own campus but are also capable of becoming agents of change and cultural preservation at the national level. This simultaneously reaffirms UNNES’s role as a center for arts and cultural development recognized by various circles.
