UGM collaborates with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to tackle the SDGs through student volunteering programmes, research programmes and the development of educational resources.
Student volunteering programmes
The 47th World Friends Korea Youth Volunteer programme is part of an annual collaboration between the Department of Language, Arts and Cultural Management (DBSMB) at UGM’s Vocational School with the Jeonju Volunteer Center, a non-profit municipal volunteer organization and public platform based in South Korea. This year, the programme took place in Yogyakarta from 13 to 23 January. Ten DBSMB student volunteers took part alongside 26 Korean student volunteers. The volunteers engaged in a variety of activities including language teaching, cultural exchange, community service, environmental protection campaigns, and a visit to an NGO in Yogyakarta. The program is expected to foster collaboration, expand cultural awareness, and deepen ties between both nations.
In August 2025, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences and the Australian Consortium for ‘In-Country’ Indonesian Studies (ACICIS) held the NGO Fair 2025 at UGM. The fair allowed local and international students to become acquainted, and find internship and volunteer opportunities, with non-government organisations across Yogyakarta. More than 20 organisations took part, including Animal Friends Jogja (a non-profit grassroots animal protection organisation), Rifka Annisa Women’s Crisis Center (an NGO dedicated to women’s empowerment), WALHI Yogyakarta (environmental organisation), Trash Hero Yogyakarta and the SATUNAMA Foundation (NGO dedicated to community empowerment).
Research programmes
In March 2025, the Faculty of Philosophy signed a cooperation agreement with Globethics to develop ethics studies and research. Globethics is an international NGO founded in Geneva in 2004, with consultative status at the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The agreement covers joint research, publications, short training programmes, seminars and public lectures, as well as community engagement and student exchange. The faculty will design a strategic programme with Globethics’ East Asia regional partner, the Dharma Ethics Madani Foundation (YADEMA). The plans for 2025 include collaborative research on ethics.
The Faculty of Psychology signed a Memorandum of Agreement later in June 2025 with Maharishi Global Raam Raj Foundation (YMGGR), which is funding a collaborative study on Transcendental Meditation. The study examines the benefits and cultural fit of Transcendental Meditation in Indonesian schools, starting in Yogyakarta. It also explores how the practice can support character development and well-being among young students. The UGM team is responsible for data collection, analysis and scientific reporting, including EEG-based brain studies.
Development of educational resources
The findings of the Transcendental Meditation study will be developed into a standardised implementation module for young scholars. The module will be shared through various channels and integrated into UGM’s Master’s Program in Psychology.
Under the Globethics partnership, the Faculty of Philosophy and YADEMA planned ethics courses and an Executive Course on Ethics Leadership Initiative for 2025, along with a webinar on the future of ethics in the age of generative AI.
References:
- NGO Fair 2025 connects students with NGOs in Yogyakarta
- DBSMB and Jeonju Volunteer Center holds the World Friends Korea Youth Volunteers
- Faculty of Philosophy UGM and Globethics Establish Collaboration on Ethics Studies and Research
- UGM Faculty of Psychology Receives Research Grant on Transcendental Meditation from Maharishi Global Raam Raj Foundation