A community service team from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) has established an international collaboration with the University of Poitiers, France, in the implementation of the 2025 Nusantara Arts Innovation Program (PISN), a newly launched initiative by the Directorate of Higher Education through BIMA. The program runs from October to December 2025 and focuses on developing artistic innovations rooted in the traditions of the Indonesian archipelago.

The UNY team, led by Prof. Dr. Kun Setyaning Astuti, M.Pd. (Faculty of Language, Arts, and Culture, UNY), successfully secured funding through a proposal entitled “Digital Hybridization of Javanese Gamelan and Traditional French Music as an Innovation in Nusantara Traditional Music.” The team includes Dr. Bambang Sulistyo, M.Pd. (Faculty of Engineering, UNY), Dr. Dott. Birul Walidaini (Faculty of Language, Arts, and Culture, UNY), as well as an academic partner from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Dr. Resa Respati. The program also involves master’s and doctoral students from UNY’s Art Education program.

In implementing the program, the UNY team partnered with Gayam 16 Community as a local collaborator. This gamelan community, long active within Yogyakarta’s arts ecosystem, is recognized for its strong competence in traditional music development and innovative adaptation. “Gayam 16 is a group that consistently preserves tradition while remaining open to innovation, making it an ideal partner for realizing this program,” Prof. Kun explained.

The international collaboration received direct support from Dr. Marlene Belly of the Ethnomusicology Program at the University of Poitiers. She traveled to Yogyakarta to collaborate with Gayam 16 in performing traditional French music, including the repertoire Avant Deux Du Pere Aux Louis Dor Et De Bregeon. The hybrid arrangements were crafted by Sudaryanto from Gayam 16, integrating elements of Javanese gamelan with the rich ethnic traditions of the Indonesian archipelago. In accordance with PISN guidelines, the UNY team also distributed grants for artistic equipment to support the sustainable capacity development of local partners.

Recently, the UNY team also participated in the Summer School “Effective Teaching for the Future” at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. The program accepted only 20 participants from various countries. UNY was represented by Prof. Kun Setyaning Astuti, Hermania Bupu, S.Pd., M.Pd., and Pasca Violita Langit, S.Pd. The program was conducted in three stages, including pre-course assignments, 60 hours of on-site learning, and reflective writing. Course materials covered effective teaching concepts, the integration of digital technology and artificial intelligence, and research-based teaching practices. Participants from more than 15 countries created a highly interactive and multicultural learning environment.

The University of Groningen has also opened opportunities for further collaboration with UNY, including an offer for a joint doctoral (PhD) degree program, allowing UNY students to undertake six months of study mobility in the Netherlands.