The Student Health Unit (Ukesma) of Universitas Gadjah Mada once again demonstrated its commitment to improving community health awareness through the second Bina Desa Sehat (BDS) program, held in Gowok Hamlet, RW 06, RT 14 and RT 15, Caturtunggal Village, Sleman, on Sunday, August 9, 2026. Centered on the theme of vigilance against illnesses during the transitional season, the program combined health education with free basic health check-ups for local residents. The transitional season is marked by unpredictable changes in weather and temperature, making the body more susceptible to a range of illnesses including respiratory infections, dengue fever, and digestive disorders. It was this condition that prompted Ukesma UGM to make community understanding of transitional season health risks and prevention the central focus of this edition of the program. read more

UKM Mapagama (Mahasiswa Pecinta Alam Gadjah Mada), UGM’s Nature Lovers Student Club, successfully completed a cave exploration in Maros Regency, South Sulawesi, through Team Siruleang as part of the Gladimadya Caving 2026 activities. The 13-day expedition, running from July 22 to August 3, 2026, aimed to explore Leang Pangngi and to explore and map Gua Bidadari, both located in the Maros–Pangkep Karst Region, the second largest and most beautiful karst landscape in the world, recognized as a UNESCO Global Geopark. Team Siruleang comprised two participants, Saida A. Haniya (Pharmacy, 2025) and Muhammad Rafa R. (Engineering, 2025), with Bagus Dwiputra W. (Economics and Business, 2023) as their supervisor and Ilyas Omar O. (Philosophy, 2024) and Saphira Dhiyaa A. (Geography, 2022) as additional team members.
Physical preparation and planning had been underway since March 2026, well ahead of the team’s departure to the field. To ensure smooth operations in a terrain unfamiliar to all team members, the team collaborated with Mapala PNUP and Mahacitaka from Makassar. Hani, the Team Coordinator, highlighted the importance of thorough preparation when facing the unpredictable conditions of underground environments. “As preparation for facing field conditions that were unfamiliar to the team, we had been conducting physical preparation and planning since March 2026,” she said.
On July 26, 2026, the team successfully reached the bottom of Leang Pangngi, a vertical cave reaching a depth of 110 meters, divided into three levels or pitches of varying depths. Despite the expedition taking place during the dry season, the team still encountered a small flow of water from pitch two through to pitch three, adding a layer of technical challenge at every descent. The mapping of Gua Bidadari was completed on July 30, 2026. This horizontal cave features a main passage 246 meters in length, with several halls and three branching corridors. The cave’s formations are dominated by living speleothems with a striking white luminescence, while the team also encountered rare fauna including the batik-patterned bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus batik) and the whip spider (Phrynus longipes).
Rafa, the Field Coordinator, noted that the greatest challenge during the mapping process was the limited number of personnel amid the highly variable width and height of the cave passages. “The main challenge for the team during the field activities was the lack of personnel, particularly during the mapping. The highly variable width and height of the cave passages extended the time required to complete the mapping of Gua Bidadari,” he explained. Bagus, as the team supervisor, added that this Gladimadya expedition also served as an opportunity to revisit and reinforce knowledge from Gladimula (the basic education phase), while deepening more specialized technical competencies from the Caving Division, such as speleology and Single Rope Technique (SRT), the technique used for ascending and descending vertical cave passages.
This expedition served as the final field activity in the Gladimadya series, the advanced education program through which young Mapagama members work toward full membership. By conducting direct exploration in one of the world’s most significant karst regions, Team Siruleang not only successfully tested and developed their technical and managerial capabilities, but also contributed to enriching the speleological data of the Maros–Pangkep region, which holds considerable scientific and conservation value. read more

AIESEC in UGM once again hosted Global Village Summer Peak 2026 at Taman Budaya Embung Giwangan, Yogyakarta, on Saturday, 25 July 2026. Carrying the theme “Celestial Mosaic: A Universe of Cultures,” the international cultural festival invited hundreds of participants to explore cultural diversity from around the world while fostering the values of tolerance and global understanding. The event began with a Roll Dance, followed by the Exchange Participant Parade, where international participants showcased their traditional attire, before continuing with the opening remarks and an introduction to the Global Village and Global Volunteer programmes. The atmosphere grew even livelier with a performance of the local dance Niskala Dwipantara by BSO Sasoebah UGM before participants visited seven international booths featuring unique cultural experiences through traditional food, clothing, games, languages, and stories about everyday life in each represented country. Participants also wore batik as a way of appreciating and introducing Indonesian culture to the international delegates. read more

AIESEC in UGM brought its commitment to coastal environmental conservation to life through the first major activity of the Aquatica project, a mangrove planting action at Pantai Baros, Yogyakarta, on July 21, 2026. Aquatica is one of AIESEC in UGM’s projects under the Incoming Global Volunteer (IGV) division, focused on marine conservation efforts in alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14, Life Below Water, established in 2015. The project involved Exchange Participants from eight countries alongside Local Volunteers, making it a cross-cultural collaboration that simultaneously delivered real environmental impact. Through Aquatica, AIESEC in UGM reaffirms its role in raising awareness among young people about the importance of protecting Indonesia’s marine and coastal ecosystems. read more