Prabowo Outlines Expansion of Higher Education with British University Collaboration
Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto convened a closed-door cabinet meeting on Tuesday to advance cooperation with leading British universities, including plans to establish ten new campuses specializing in health and STEM fields.
The meeting, held at President Prabowo’s Hambalang residence in Bogor, West Java, focused on strengthening Indonesia’s higher education system and workforce development through partnerships with top UK institutions, the Cabinet Secretariat said.
Attending officials included 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.
Minister Brian noted that British partners responded positively to President Prabowo’s initiative to establish universities specializing in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and science and technology.
The plan, first presented by President Prabowo at the UK–Indonesia Education Roundtable in London last week, aims to address Indonesia’s shortage of medical professionals. “We currently produce only about 9,000 doctors a year, and many will retire before we reach our long-term target,” President Prabowo said, highlighting the need for a strategic expansion of higher education capacity.
President Prabowo added that the government intends to collaborate with established British universities, many of which already partner with Indonesian institutions or operate campuses in cities such as Bandung and Singosari.
The new universities are expected to adopt British higher education standards, offer full government scholarships to top Indonesian students, and welcome foreign lecturers and professors. President Prabowo indicated that the campuses could begin admitting students as early as 2028, emphasizing that stronger international cooperation is vital to enhancing education quality and healthcare services nationwide.
