..Saudi Arabia has committed to providing 1,000 scholarship quotas for Indonesia for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have strengthened cooperation in higher education, science, and technology, including through Saudi Arabia’s commitment to provide 1,000 scholarship quotas for Indonesian students for the 2026-2027 academic year.
The cooperation also covers research collaboration, talent development, academic mobility, and digital education to support human resource development in both countries.
Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Fauzan said there are currently 95 active cooperation documents between Indonesian and Saudi Arabian universities, covering joint research, community service, curriculum and joint program development, research centers, lecturer exchanges, and visiting professors.
“Going forward, we will continue to encourage more collaboration between Indonesian universities and Saudi Arabian stakeholders, including in STEM and the national priorities of both countries,” Fauzan said in a statement here on Thursday.
He said the extensive network serves as capital to strengthen more substantive and actionable cooperation, especially in areas of shared priority. On talent development, Saudi Arabia has committed to providing 1,000 scholarship quotas for Indonesia for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Fauzan said Indonesia-Saudi Arabia cooperation needs to be strengthened by expanding the scope of activities and areas of collaboration, while taking into account the national interests of both countries.
“For the coming years, we hope we can continue the long-standing relations and cooperation, while expanding the scope of activities and areas of collaboration, taking into account the national interests of Indonesia and Saudi Arabia,” Fauzan said.
The ministry encouraged strategic use of these opportunities, especially to support the doctoral study needs of Indonesian lecturers in priority sectors. Another focus of the cooperation is encouraging research that is increasingly connected to market and business needs.
Meanwhile, Saudi Education Minister Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan emphasized the importance of strengthening this link in research development.
As a step to strengthen research collaboration, Saudi Arabia said it plans to conduct an assessment to identify around three to five Indonesian universities with potential to become partners in joint research programs.
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Translator: Sean, Kenzu
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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