Two students from the Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies Program (PSPSR) at UGM, Nurul Fajri Kusumaningrum and Arung Hutari Dea Premita, have successfully passed a significant milestone in their academic journey by defending their theses last June.
Nurul Fajri Kusumaningrum, who defended her thesis on Monday, June 10, 2024, presented an intriguing theme on the commodification of nostalgia in the popular music industry. In her research, Fajri specifically analyzed the phenomenon of Kangen Band as a case study, examining how nostalgia was leveraged to achieve commercial success from 2019 to 2023. This research was supervised by two experienced lecturers, Dr. Phil. Oki Rahadianto Sutopo, S.Sos., M.Si., and Dr. G.R. Lono L. Simatupang, M.A.
Meanwhile, Arung Hutari Dea Premita, who defended her thesis on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, focused on the world of theater. In her thesis, Dea evaluated the theater performance titled “Semalam Masa Silam Mengunjungiku,” analyzing how the performance represented criticism of capitalism. This research was also supervised by Dr. G.R. Lono L. Simatupang, M.A., and Dr. Phil. Oki Rahadianto Sutopo, S.Sos., M.Si.
The success of these two students in defending their theses is a testament to the efforts of the PSPSR UGM Program in supporting SDG 4: quality education. The topics covered in their research also reflect the relevance and depth of the students’ understanding of the dynamics of contemporary arts and culture. (AU)
