The Center for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies at Gadjah Mada University, in cooperation with Florida International University (Miami, Florida, U.S.A.), is hosting its annual four-week English-language program starting May 4th to allow students and interested members of the public to experience life and culture in Indonesia and to examine the place of religion and globalization in our contemporary global world. This course will explore “Religion and Globalization” in the context of Indonesia, a diverse society including the world’s largest Muslim population. With its official motto “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” (Unity in Diversity), Indonesia faces the challenges of building relationships across diverse religions and ethnicities. During the first three and half weeks in Yogyakarta, the cultural capital of Java, we will examine the diversity of Indonesia’s religious experience through seminars with local and international experts and excursions to local organizations, communities, and sacred places. In Bali, we will explore globalization’s impact on culture, religion and nature.
The host for this program, the Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies at Gadjah Mada University, is a Master’s-level graduate program in religious studies and research center advocating religious pluralism in the context of Indonesian democracy (and vice-versa). CRCS is known in Indonesia as the oldest religious studies center where students and faculty come together from across Indonesia’s religions. This four-week English-language program on “religion and globalization in Indonesia” is one of our public education activities, which also include regular “Wednesday Forum” lectures on religion and society, a busy publication program in both English and Indonesian, and our “School for Managing Diversity” two-week courses on human rights and multicultural identity for Indonesian religious leaders, university faculty, activists, and journalists.
CRCS invites a very limited number (five only) of UGM students (including international exchange students) to participate in the Yogyakarta portion of the program (May 4th through May 25th). Participation is free of charge but there will be a fee to cover additional transportation and meals during the excursions. UGM students who are interested in joining this program are invited to send a letter of application including basic information (Name, Date of Birth, Department/Faculty, Nationality, Address, Email and Phone Number) and the reasons why they feel it is important for them to join this program to CRCS Public Education Najiyah Martiam: najiyah.martiam@ugm.ac.id no later than Friday, May 1, 2015.
SCHEDULE
YOGYAKARTA
May 4, Monday,
13.00 – 15.00 Religion, Ecology, and Globalization (Whitney Bauman, Ph.D, FIU)
May 5, Tueday
09.30 – 11.30 Introduction to Religion in Indonesia (Zainal Abidin Bagir, Ph.D, CRCS)
13.00 – 15.00 Excursion to Sultan Palace
May 6, Wednesday
09.30 – 11.30 Islam In Indonesia (Muh. Iqbal Ahnaf, Ph.D, CRCS)
13.00 – 15.00 Wed Forum: Places as a Medium (Sook Nim Choi, Ph.D.,Christian Duta Wacana University)
May 7, Thursday
09.30 – 11.30 Buddhism in Indonesia (Yulianti, Ph.D Cand. Leiden Univ. The Netherland)
13.00 – 15.00 Eco-tourism (Samsul Maarif, Ph.D, CRCS)
May 8, Friday
09.30 – 11.30 Indigenous Religions in Indonesia (Samsul Maarif, Ph.D, CRCS)
13.00 – 15.00 Excursion to Javanese religion
May 11, Monday
09.30 – 11.30 Art and Images in Christianity (Greg Vanderbilt, Ph.D, CRCS)
13.00 – 15.00 Christianity in Indonesia (Marthen Tahun, M.A, CRCS)
May 12, Tuesday
09.30 – 11.30 Javanese Cosmology (Wibie Mahardika/ Samsul Maarif)
13.00 – 15.00 Excursion: Parangkusumo Beach and the imaginary line of Jogja
May 13, Wednesday
09.30 – 11.30 Rituals and Symbols (Whitney Bauman, Ph.D, CRCS)
13.00 – 15.00 Wed Forum: Multifaith Pilgrimages (Suhadi, Ph.D, CRCS)
May 14, Thursday
06.00 – 11.30 Join Catholics Mass at Ganjuran Javanese Church
May 15, Friday
09.30 – 15.00 Ecursion: Islmic Organic Farming and Javanese Royal Cemetery (Imogiri)
May 18, Monday
09.30 – 11.30 Islamic Philantropy (Hilman Latief, Ph.D., Muhammadiyah University Yogyakarta)
13.00 – 15.00 Religion and Ecology (Whitney Bauman, Ph.D, FIU)
May 19, Tuesday
09.00 – 15.00 Excursion to Merapi and Interfaith community
May 20, Wednesday
09.30 – 11.30 Religion and Sexuality (Whitney Bauman, Ph.D)
13.00 – 15.00 Excursion to Queer Community
May 21, Thursday
09.30 – 11.30 Queer Theory and Ecology (Whitney Bauman, Ph.D)
May 22, Friday
09.30 – 15.00 Excursion to Pesantren (Islamic Boarding School)
May 25, Monday
09.30 – 11.30 The Anthropology of tourism in Indonesia (Kelli Swazey, Ph.D., CRCS)
13.00 – 15.00 Old Javanese Town (Kota Gedhe)
May 26, Tuesday
Wrap up
Fly to Bali
BALI
May 27, Wednesday
Balinese Religion and Culture
Exploring Temples of Ubud and Monkey Forest
May 28, Thursday
Religious Ecology
Excursion: SUBAK (Balinese traditional irrigation system)
May 29, Friday
Tourism’s impact on Culture & Ecology
June 1, Monday
Peace Movement
Ashram Gandhi
June 2, Tuesday
Waisak
June 3, Wednesday
Wrap up
