Expanding Insights Through Excursions Summer School 2023 on Number Theory and Cryptography

Yogyakarta  ̶  On Saturday, July 15th, the participants of the Summer School 2023 on Number Theory and Cryptography engaged in an excursion activity. This activity was a part of the week-long Summer School program that commenced on Monday, July 10th.

On this excursion, the participants visited several locations. The first destination was Museum Sandi, located at 21 Faridan M. Noto Street, Kotabaru, Kemantren Gondokusuman, Yogyakarta. This museum has a collection of significant historical artifacts related to the field of Indonesian cryptography. Additionally, the Museum Sandi stands as a tribute to the heroic efforts of individuals, particularly those involved in cryptography, in defending Indonesia’s independence.

In addition to observing cipher machines and cryptographic tools, the participants had the opportunity to watch historical videos on the application of cryptography in Indonesia. They were also invited to solve some prepared ciphers by the tour guide.

The second destination was Rumah Sandi in Dusun Dukuh, Purwoharjo, Samigaluh District, Kulon Progo Regency, Yogyakarta. This traditional Javanese building bears witness to the struggles of independence fighters during Dutch Military Aggression II. Owned by Merto Setomo, the house served as a strategic hub for receiving and transmitting encrypted messages, both domestic and international, in order to devise effective strategies against the Dutch forces.

Before returning to Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), the participants enjoyed a tour of Borobudur Temple and explored the neighboring villages in a Volkswagen (VW) car.

“The event today was really exciting. In addition to experiencing the historical sites related to cryptography in Indonesia, we were taken to Borobudur Temple, and my favorite part was riding in the VW car while enjoying the scenery of surrounding villages,” said Ning, one of the participants in Summer School 2023.

Author: Endang Sulastri

Editor: Silvina Rosita Yulianti