Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have discussed expanding cooperation in higher education through student and lecturer exchanges, joint degrees, research and scholarship programmes, as reported by
ANTARA.
Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Pratikno said the two countries had identified several programmes for immediate implementation, particularly involving higher education institutions. The proposals include student and lecturer exchanges, joint supervision, joint degrees and joint research.
Pratikno made the remarks during a meeting in Jakarta with Saudi Education Minister Yousef Bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, Indonesian cabinet ministers and university rectors at the residence of Saudi Ambassador to Indonesia Faisal Abdullah Al–Amoudi.
The discussions also covered teacher education, capacity building and the expansion of scholarship programmes. Pratikno said scholarships would soon be opened directly.
Al-Benyan said Saudi Arabia has more than 1,000 government scholarships available for Indonesians. The remaining scholarships can be accessed through Saudi Arabia’s official platforms, with no application deadline specified.
Saudi Arabia has around 15 universities ranked among the world’s top 100 institutions, according to Al-Benyan, including three to five universities ranked among the world’s top 10.
Ambassador Al-Amoudi confirmed that around 1,000 scholarships are available to Indonesian students across all academic fields.
The meeting took place as Indonesia and Saudi Arabia seek to expand cooperation in human resource development, with higher education, teacher training and academic exchanges among the key priorities.