4 UGM students were announced as one of eight winners in an international Asia Pacific competition on environmentally friendly living concept design, Young Leaders Build. The event was held by Habitat for Humanity, based in the Phillipines. The team consisted of Irvandias Sanjaya (Faculty of Psychology, Cindy Shandoval (Faculty of Cultural Sciences), Elsana Bekti Nugroho (Architecture, Faculty of Engineering) and Ayu Indah Lestari (Vocational School). The concept offered by these four students was a home design named Psy-Cul-Lar. The team was announced as one of nine winners of the competition, delegates of Nepal and Bangladesh.

Dias expressed to journalists on Monday (29/2) that they never expected that their concept of Psy-Cul-Lar would be included in the list of winners that were announced last February. The competition started in October last year. “We received a grant to execute the concept that they offered in the the project we submitted.” Dias explained.

The winners were awarded with grants consistent with the amount that they submitted. The competition was on ideas of building settlements in developing countries, thus the UGM team offeren the building of homes integrated in psychological, cultural and architectural aspects.

From the psychological aspect, Dias explains, that they offer the residential concept where the resident’s wellbeing are facilitated through education in the family. Meanwhile, from the cultural aspect, the building adopts local wisdoms. “We were inspired by houses in Bali that still uses several symbols which contain philosophical meanings.” He uttered.

Meanwhile from the architectural aspect, Dias explained, that they offered a concept of an environmentally-friendly residency with good sanitation facility. “A home is not only a place of living, but also the early foundations for people to learn about culture and also be comfortable in doing so.”

Consistent with the proposal they offered, the competition awarded around 2,5 million rupiahs that will be used to make informational videos and posters as well as a photography and essay competition. “We were planning to spread information about habitat for humanity in Jogja,” Cindy explained.

Cindy hopes that there will be a habitat for humanity community group that are interested in realizing the plans. “To execute them, it depends on whether anyone is interested.” Cindy said.

original source: https://ugm.ac.id

Natural disasters often leave lasting aftermath, most of which do not lend to easy solutions due to the complexity of the issues. The sheer loss that is inflicted by said events could affect the economic, social, cultural, healthcare, even political facets of a society. Hence, natural disasters need to be viewed through multiple perspectives and mindsets in order to minimize the effects of the losses and to improve people’s ability to live in tandem with nature.

Drawn together by the same desire to exchange ideas on how to bolster society’s resilience, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Indonesia) and Coventry University (UK) with support from the British Council through the Newton Researcher Links program held a international multidisciplinary workshop with the main theme of Disaster Reduction, Resilience, Well-Being, and Culture. The program was intended to foster a effective collaboration between disaster researchers, NGOs, local governments, and the people to achieve a holistic understanding as to minimize disaster aftermaths.

The workshop’s aims were to 1) Improve geographic monitoring on activity levels and other disaster-related levels, 2) Discuss the practice of communicating recent risks as well as how to develop and evaluate a culture-based disaster mitigation training program, 3) Show cultural issues and resilience in relations with practices that can maintain individual and collective wellbeing, such as by providing a psychosocial support.

This Researcher Links Workshop comprised seminars and discussions that include the field’s experts and practitioners. The main agenda of this workshop was to improve monitoring on disaster potentials and threats in Indonesia and to develop resiliency among civilians living in such areas. Since natural disasters often have ties with behavior and culture, the workshop was also a platform to devise strategic steps to mitigate disaster aftermaths through the power of culture.

Issues and programs that were discussed had a lot to do with how the victims cope with natural disasters, individually and collectively. Of course in this case, the resilience and wellbeing of the victims can be formed and maintained by looking into the potential said victims have. Due to its experience in handling disasters and its psychosocial effects, the Center for Public Mental Health was assigned as an organizer for the international workshop.

The event was held from 15-19 February 2016 at UGM Faculty of Psychology. Partaking in the workshop’s seminars and discussions were experts and practitioners hailing from both Indonesia and the UK. They were Prof. Subandi (UGM), Prof. Muh. Aris Marfa’I (UGM), Dr. Rahmat Hidayat (UGM), Dr. Gavin Sullivan (Coventry University), Dr. Yung-Fang Chen (Coventry University), and Dr. Matt Blackett (Coventry University). Participants of the workshop include 36 practitioners and academics of Indonesia and the UK from various fields of study, who would present and talk about multidisciplinary disaster-related research plans.

The event would not have happened without the full support of the British Council via the NewtonFund initiative. Through programs designed as part of the initiative, the British Council is contributing to the advancement of studies in Indonesia focusing on nurturing community resilience in disaster-related settings. This collaboration also encourages full involvement and cooperation between experts from Indonesia and the UK.

The Faculty of Psychology recently graduates 21 graduates in the graduation ceremony on the 17th February 2016. The graduates consisted of 6 male students and 15 female students. The graduation ceremony was held in the faculty’s auditorium after the ceremonial procession at Grha Sabha Pramana UGM.

8 people graduated cumlaude. They are Anita Carolina Hendarko (3,75), Clara Shinta Aditya Rosari (3,75), Afif Saifi Hirzan (3,61), Acintya Ratna Priwati (3,56), Titi Dwi Putrini (3,55), Widya Salma Fithria (3,52), Siti Maryam Wahyuni (3.52) and Nafisatun Izza Husein (3,51).

Highest grade point average was accomplished by Anita Carolina Hendarko. The fastest study period of 3 years, 4 months and 13 days was also accomplished by Anita Carolina Hendarko. Youngest graduate was also awarded to Anita Carolina Hendarko, earning the title of psychology graduate (S. Psi) at the age of 21 years, 6 months and 13 days.

Congratulations to all!

The Universitas Gadjah Mada Faculty of Psychology have successfully ran a graduation ceremony for the faculty’s master degree program (19/01/2016). 15 psychologists from the Magister Program for Professional Degree in Psychology and 6 scientists from Magister of Psychology were graduated in the occasion. This wave makes a total of 2.212 students that make the alumni of Universitas Gadjah Mada Faculty of Psychology’s master program.

Among the graduates from the Magister Program for Professional Degree in Psychology, Rahay Widiyati achieved the highest GPA of 3.9. A total of 6 graduates of the program had earned the cum laude distinction, the names of which are:  Rahayu Widiyati (3.9), Soraya Januaria (3.88), Komang Sri Widiantari (3.86), Juliana Marlin Yusrianty Benu (3.84), Widia Sri Ardias (3.84), Eko Pujiono (3.8). Furthermore, 7 graduates had earned the “with praise” distinction (3,49 > GPA > 3,00) and 2 the “with great praise” distinction (3,74 > GPA > 3,50). Two graduates, Anak Agung Istri Mira Pramitya and Rahayu Widiyati, deserve special mentions for having finished their study in the shortest amount of time, 2 years and 10 months.

Meanwhile among the graduates of the Magister of Psychology, the highest GPA of 3.45 were achieved by Andetyowati Nastiti and Jonherz Stenlly Patalatu. 6 graduates of the program earned the “with praise distinction”. In addition to her GPA being above her peers, Andetyowati also finished her study within 2 years and 10 months, the shortest of them all.

The Faculty of Psychology bestowed a special awardee to Komang Sri Widiantari and Jonherz Stenlly Patalatu for being graduates with the best published thesis. Komang’s thesis is titled “Career Meaning of Women In Political Party”. Komang is an industrial and organizational psychologist working under the supervision of Drs. Fathul Himam, M.A., M.Psi, Ph.D. Jonherz, the other awardee, wrote a thesis titled “Aggresiveness as a Long-term Effect of Exposure to Conflict”, and was supervised by Prof. Dr. Saifuddin Azwar, M.A.

Congratulations and godspeed to all the graduates.

The number of psychologists in Indonesia is still very limited. Even until now, psychologists are not yet able to fulfill the standard minimum health quota made by the WHO. The ratio between population and psychologists are still well under the recommended number, that it 22 to 100,000. Meanwhile, in Indonesia right now, with a population of 241 million people, only around 365 psychologists are available for the public.

Concerned with this phenomenon, a group of UGM students sought to find a solution to help overcome this shortage of psychologists. They have made an online psychological consultation service that can be accessed free of charge. Through the website pijarpsikologi.org, the public are able to consult psychologists of their problems or complaints.

Pijar Psikologi has succeeded in named as the top 16 in the world-wide competition “Global Innovation Through Science and Technology (GIST) with 800 participants from 79 countries from all over the world. They have also succeeded in winning third place in a Startup competition in Surabaya a few months back.

Started by 10 students from the Faculty of Psychology and Faculty of Engineering, Regisda Machdy, Aulia Kusuma Wardani, Nurul Aisya Beryllia, Sadida Fatin Aruni, Anggrelika P Krestaryaningwidhy, Reno Prasasto, Annisa Azzahra Santifera, Clara Shinta Rosari, Maharany Firdhausya and Adyotasalma Danurasti.

The president of Pijar Psikologi, Regisda Machdy, hopes that the pijarpsikologi.org website will be able to connect psychologists with clients with being limited by time or place. Through the website, clients can ask or consult a psychologist on problems they are currently facing.

“The amount of people needing psychology consultation services is quite a lot, but people still feel ashamed and afraid to consult a psychologist. That is also why we developed this online consultation,” he explained on Thursday (14/1) at the UGM campus.

Regis, as he is commonly known, explained that even though there has been several similar forms of consultation, but other services are not followed by other follow up actions such as researches. Meanwhile other online consultations are not free of charge.

The services has been developed since 2014 and formally released at the start of 2015. At the start, only 14 psychologists were available for online consultation. Now, 21 psychologists have volunteered to contribute in providing online consultation. It is also supported by 69 students from several universities in Indonesia which periodically publish articles on psychology. Until now, they have around 200 clients using this service.

“So, besides providing psychological consultations, we also strive to give educate the society on psychology through articles,” explained Regis, an alumni of the Faculty of Psychology UGM.

Regis explained that in the future, they are moving towards accessing this online consultation through smartphones. He hopes that this will widen the access for members of the society.

“We hope that by mid-2006, this will be available to be accessed through smartphones,”.

Original source: https://ugm.ac.id

UGM Faculty of Psychology held a tasyakuran (TN: a thanksgiving usually held to commemorate certain events especially anniversaries) on Monday (11/1) as the main event of the faculty’s 51st Anniversary. The event was held at the main hall of the campus’ D Building, and from 11.00 A.M. through 2 P.M. Attendants of the event were many and diverse, ranging from lecturers, employees, alumni, and even current students of the UGM Faculty of Psychology, as well as a few invited guests.

This year’s anniversary’s theme was “positive minds, positive lives”, and “positive vibes”. This year is a bit different, however, in that it also put art as a major theme. “Dull is a life without art,” wrote Idei Kurnia Swasti M. Psi, who headed the committee for the event, in her report. Just east from the main stage was a karawitan (TN: a form of traditional Javanese/Sundanese music) group from UGM Faculty of Psychology’s very own staffs, ready to please attending guests. Aside from karawitan, the staffs also performed a ketoprak (TN: a theatrical art form associated with the Surakartan and Yogyakartan culture) comedy skit that was very welcomed by the guests, judging from the constant laughters by the audience heard throughout the play.

As with previous years, this year’s occasion was also used to reward exceptional students and staffs. Furthermore, attending guests also had a chance to receive one of several doorprizes through a lottery. This year’s tasyakuran, however, was particularly unique in that there was a passing of a marriage trophy, initially held by the class of 1958, the university’s very first year, to the Faculty of Psychology.

Another event that was not traditionally a part of the yearly tasyakuran but was present this year was a book launching. The newly released book was titled Psychology for A Resilient and Happy Indonesia by Supra Wimbarti, M. Sc, Ph.D. “My hope is that this book can help not just students or faculties, but also the nation as a whole,” she said. The current dean of UGM Faculty of Psychology was well in the middle of writing her next book, The Psychology of Attaining Growth and Ethics.

This year’s tasyakuran was a very special and celebrated occasion indeed. In addition to the aforementioned events, it was also during this time that the UGM Faculty of Psychology’s new six-floor D Building was officially opened. Present for the ceremony and the signing of the commemorative plaque was UGM’s rector herself, Prof. Ir. Dwikorita Karnawati, M. Sc., Ph. D. Dwikorita applauded the Faculty of Psychology for having successfully finished the construction using its own assets. She hoped that other faculties would follow suit in light of this achievement.

No doubt that the UGM Faculty of Psychology was able to display its fruit of labor with pride in this 51th anniversary’s tasyakuran. Hopefully by next year’s tasyakuran, the Faculty of Psychology can entertain better, as well as present more impressive achievements. [Marsa]

Full name: Sutarimah Ampuni, S.Psi., M.Si., MPsych., Ph.D., Psikolog

Email: s.ampuni[at]ugm.ac.id