Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto convened a confidential cabinet assembly to enhance collaboration in education with prominent British academic institutions, with specific objectives involving the establishment of 10 new educational facilities specializing in healthcare and STEM disciplines.
The session, convened at Prabowo's Hambalang estate in Bogor, West Java, focused on advancements in collaborations with leading universities in the UK to enhance Indonesia's higher education sector and workforce skills, as stated by the Cabinet Secretariat.
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The attendees of the meeting comprised of government officials such as Higher Education, Science, and Technology Minister Brian Yuliarto, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, Deputy Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces General Tandyo Budi Revita, and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
Brian reported that the British counterparts had expressed favorable reactions to Prabowo's proposal for the creation of new academic institutions focused on disciplines such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, as well as science and technology.
During the UK-Indonesia Education Roundtable in London last week, Prabowo introduced a proposal to mitigate Indonesia's deficit of medical practitioners. Prabowo indicated that the government's objective is to establish partnerships with reputable British universities, many of which are already engaged in collaborations with Indonesian academic institutions or have established campuses in cities like Bandung and Singosari.
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"We currently produce only about 9,000 doctors a year, and many will retire before we reach our long-term target,” Prabowo said, underscoring the need for a strategic expansion of higher education capacity.
The new universities are anticipated to adhere to the rigorous academic standards of British higher education, provide prestigious government scholarships to outstanding Indonesian students, and facilitate the inclusion of foreign educators and scholars.
Prabowo mentioned that universities may commence enrolling students by 2028, emphasizing the importance of enhanced global partnerships in enhancing the quality of education and healthcare services on a national scale.
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Prabowo underscored the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology in Indonesia's goal of enhancing collaboration with institutions of higher learning in the UK, exploring the potential of establishing satellite campuses within Indonesia. He further stated that his administration is giving importance to programs aimed at increasing the number of Indonesian students studying overseas and improving the academic capabilities of local universities in the fields of medicine and STEM.
Indonesia's strategic plan includes the establishment of ten new universities that will focus on fields such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and science and technology, with the intention of enrolling students starting in 2028. At present, Indonesia graduates approximately 9,000 doctors each year, a figure deemed insufficient by Prabowo as a significant number of healthcare professionals are approaching retirement age.