Sunday, 2 March 2026 — A total of 54 students from the International Relations Study Program batch 2024 of President University conducted a field trip under the guidance of Jeanne Francoise, Ph.D. The program took place in Surakarta, commonly known as Solo, with visits to key historical sites including Monumen Pers Nasional and Pura Mangkunegaran. Conducted over several days, departing on 28 February and concluding on 2 March 2026, the program allowed students to connect classroom knowledge with real historical contexts through fun and meaningful experience, particularly in understanding how different elements contributed to the formation of an independent Indonesia.

At Monumen Pers Nasional, students explored the role of media in shaping national awareness during the colonial period. Jeanne Francoise explained that early press narratives often concealed the realities faced by indigenous people. “We study the nation-building process of Indonesia from the perspective of the press. During the colonial era, media narratives often obscured the suffering of the people. Raden Mas Tirto later established mass media that reflected the daily realities of indigenous communities and included opinion pieces from intellectuals, which contributed to the growing awareness of independence,” she explained.

Building on this understanding, the visit to Pura Mangkunegaran provided insight into the political strategies that prolonged colonial control. Jeanne highlighted the implementation of the “divide et impera” strategy by the Dutch colonial government. “Through this visit, we learn about the politics of division applied by the Dutch. There were two kingdoms in Surakarta and two in Yogyakarta, reflecting how fragmentation was used as a tool of control,” she stated.