On November 4, the class of Life-Span Development Psychology conducted a field study on an orphanage in Kulon Progo. A group of IUP and exchange students, accompanied by two professors and two teaching assistants, embarked on a field trip to Panti Asuhan Ash-Shiddiqiyah in Kulon Progo. Upon their arrival, they were graciously welcomed by the facility’s administrators and the foster children.

While enjoying snacks, the students engaged in conversations with the foster children, who represented a diverse range of backgrounds. Some hailed from regions beyond the island, others were not orphans but came from economically disadvantaged families, and a few were brought to the orphanage by the community. In total, there were 28 children, spanning various age groups and educational levels, including preschoolers, primary and secondary school students, and those in high school, Islamic boarding schools, and university. The foster children shared valuable insights into the support they receive from donors, with some former foster children now contributing as donors themselves. During the interaction, male students showcased a traditional performance known as “hadrah” as a gesture of welcome. read more

On Friday, 29 September 2023, the class of Psychology of Disaster and Crisis had a field study at Papringan, Yogyakarta, where they linked up with the Disaster Management and Community Service Unit of Gereja Kristen Jawa Ambarrukma, often known as PB Palma. The PB Palma established a flood early warning system (EWS) around river areas which serves its purpose to detect the river’s water level. The purpose of this field study is to introduce the students to an invention made by the local community which has a prominent value to several areas in Yogyakarta, specifically areas around rivers that are prone to be caught in a flood. One of the river areas that is surrounded by houses that might cause a risk of flood is the Gajah Wong River. read more

On 13 July 2023,  the International Undergraduate Program in Psychology at UGM had the pleasure of visiting a prestigious Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bukit Jambul in Penang, Malaysia. The purpose of our visit was to promote our program and share our vast knowledge and passion for teaching and research in Psychology.

Around 350 students eagerly visited and collected information at our booth. Upon engaging with the students, we were delighted to learn that their initial understanding of Psychology encompassed various keywords such as “motivation,” “stress,” “counseling,” and “mental health.” However, we took the opportunity to inform them that the discipline of Psychology taught at Gadjah Mada University covers a much broader spectrum of topics, including the fascinating fields of neuropsychology and forensic psychology.  read more

On Friday, 12 Mei 2023, the character education and development class conducted a field study at Olifant School accompanied by Ms. Elga Andriana, Ph.D. The event’s main topic was character education, titled “The Art of Implementing Character Education.” The activity consists of presenting material, sharing experiences by Olifant students, and question & answer related to the material from IUP Psychology students.

The initial discussion mainly focused on the roles of the community, teachers, and schools for their students. Olifant emphasizes that the students have a decisive role when they have Teaching-Learning activities. For example, teachers encourage students to make a target and agreement for the class by deciding on one behavior that everyone in the class has to improve. With commitment and responsibility, students are motivated to be committed to the class and take accountability for what they do in each class session. Students also favor active class participation as they engage in class discussions and introduce various new ideas to the debate. read more

On Thursday, 9 March 2023, the class of Psychology and Culture conducted a guest lecture with Prof. Byron J. Good, a Professor of Medical Anthropology in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School alongside Prof. Subandi, M.A., Ph.D.

The lectures mainly talk about how mental health problems could emerge after the happenings of a conflict. It focuses on the effect of culture towards mental health and vice versa. In this context, Prof. Byron shared about the well-being of people in Aceh post-tsunami in 2004. Prof. Byron developed mental health interventions by assessing trauma between people in Aceh after experiencing the Tsunami. read more