The Indonesian Literature Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Diponegoro University (FIB UNDIP) successfully held the MINI BIPA Summer Course Program 2025 on July 28 – August 2, 2025. This year’s theme was “Popular Music in Indonesia.”
This annual event provides international students with an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Indonesian culture, particularly through timeless popular music.
Participants from 3 Continents and 23 Countries Enlivened the Event
The event, which is held every summer, was attended by 89 participants from 3 continents: Asia, Europe, and Africa; and 23 different countries, such as South Korea, Pakistan, India, Russia, Italy, Egypt, and Nigeria. The participants were very enthusiastic and actively interacted during the sessions.
As the person in charge of the event, Laura Andri R.M, M.A., expressed her gratitude and pride in the success of this event. She hopes that the MINI BIPA Summer Course Program can become a regular agenda that is useful for promoting Indonesian language and culture on the international stage.
MINI BIPA Summer Course Program 2025
The MINI BIPA Summer Course Program 2025 was held for six days, with participants receiving material from speakers who are experts in their fields. Prof. Hanafi Hussin (Universiti Malaya) skillfully discussed the history and development of popular music in Southeast Asia, while Mr. Rifka Pratama, M.A., presented on the topic of Indonesian Pop Music and contributed his golden voice to the event. Equally interesting were Mr. Arido Laksono, M.Hum., who discussed Regional Pop Music, Mr. Drs. Mulyo Hadi P., M.Hum., with his expertise in harmonizing the close relationship between music and film, and Mr. Herpin N. Khurosan, M.A., who broke down the excitement of discussing the Dangdut genre.
However, that’s not all. Every day, participants will be given a short course in Indonesian by Dr. Wati Istanti, M.Pd., who will provide an in-depth yet relaxed explanation of the meaning of song lyrics and the cultural context of Indonesia.
Therefore, participants of the MINI BIPA Summer Course Program 2025 will not only receive serious material about popular music in Indonesia from experts. They will also learn about the Indonesian language through four aspects, namely writing, reading, listening, and speaking.
Through Indonesian popular music, a golden door of cultural dialogue has been opened. Not only does it introduce the Indonesian language to foreign speakers, but it also shares the culture and identity of the nation through the melodies and lyrics of popular music that are easily remembered by all elements of society, including the participants of the MINI BIPA Summer Course Program 2025.
Dr. Sukarjo Waluyo, S.S., M.Hum., as the Head of the Indonesian Literature Study Program at FIB Undip, appreciates and fully supports the MINI BIPA Summer Course Program 2025. He hopes that this activity will become a forum for globalizing the Indonesian language, in particular, and promoting the Indonesian Literature Study Program on a broader stage.