Magelang, 27th – 29th June 2025 — In an effort to accelerate the completion of doctoral studies for doctoral students, the Doctoral Study Program in Performing Arts and Fine Arts Studies (PSPSR), Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada held a Dissertation Boot Camp for three days and two nights in Magelang. This activity was designed as a productive and reflective space for students in the final stages of their doctoral program.
This boot camp, carrying the concept of an academic retreat, began on Friday June 27th 2025 with a departure from the UGM Graduate School. Participants were invited to share the stages of study they were undergoing, after the opening session and evaluation of study progress. The first night was closed with an independent work session facilitated in the meeting room, providing opportunities for participants to directly express their ideas and revise their dissertations in a calm and concentrated atmosphere.
The second day, Saturday (28/6), opened with fun walks and games to create a fresh atmosphere and strengthen togetherness. Continuing with international journal writing training, students were provided with strategies to penetrate reputable publications that are relevant to their dissertation topics. The afternoon and evening were filled with intensive guidance with promoters and co-promoters, independent work sessions, and informal discussions providing space to grow academically and emotionally.
The last day’s activities, Sunday (29/6), focused on presentations of independent work results, where participants explained their writing progress during the boot camp. This presentation was creating space for evaluation and a place for mutual learning and strengthening among fellow doctoral students. This session was closed with a question and answer session, lunch together, and a trip back to campus.
This activity has proven effective in building productivity as well as solidarity, with intensive scheduling but still paying attention to the balance between intellectual work and relaxation. It provides more optimal writing time and space, and rekindles the collective spirit that often fades in the midst of a long and silent dissertation journey.
“A dissertation is not just about completing academic writing, but also managing mental stamina and maintaining the fire of enthusiasm. With this boot camp, we do not feel alone,” said one of the participants.
The PSPSR Study Program hopes that this activity will be the spark for a new, more human-centered academic culture, which places students not only as individual researchers, but also as humans who need support, productive space, and community.
This activity emphasizes that completing a dissertation is not an isolated individual work, but rather a collective process that can be celebrated together, if supported by the right and empathetic program design.
Author: Burhanul Aqil