51 Papua 'Adem' Programme Participants in East Java Secure Public University Places for 2026/2027

Surabaya (ANTARA) - A total of 51 participants in the Secondary Education Affirmation Programme (Adem) for Papua and Repatriation Adem, who pursued their education in East Java, have been accepted into public universities through the National Selection Based on Achievement and National Selection Based on Test pathways for the 2026/2027 academic year. “Alhamdulillah, this is a very proud achievement. The Adem Programme not only opens access to quality education but has also succeeded in producing a generation of Papuans who are high-achieving, resilient, possess strong character, and are ready to compete at the national level,” said East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa in Surabaya on Wednesday. Based on data from the East Java Education Office, 26 participants were accepted through the achievement-based route and 25 participants through the test-based route. “East Java is always open as a home for learning for the nation’s children from various regions. We want to ensure that every Indonesian child has the same opportunity to obtain quality, high-standard, and character-building education,” she said. According to the governor, during their education in East Java, Adem participants gained academic experience as well as learning about diversity, tolerance, and social life which strengthens the spirit of unity. “They are the next generation who will build Papua and Indonesia. Keep learning, never give up, and become a generation capable of bringing progress to both their home regions and the Indonesian nation,” she said. For the 2026/2027 academic year, the quota for the Papua Adem Programme in East Java has increased to 152 students from the previous 145 students. “This is a mandate that must be safeguarded together. The more Papuan children who get the opportunity to study in East Java, the greater the contribution we can make in producing superior human resources towards the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision,” she stressed. Meanwhile, Head of the East Java Education Office, Aries Agung Paewai, said the success of Adem participants in penetrating public universities serves as proof that Papuan children have great potential to compete at the national level. “I am very proud of the achievements of the Papua Adem students. This success is the result of the students’ hard work, the support of foster parents, and the dedication of teachers and educators who have been assisting them,” he said. There are currently 440 Papua Adem students pursuing education at various high schools and vocational high schools in East Java, consisting of 145 10th-grade students, 160 11th-grade students, and 135 12th-grade students who graduated on 5 May 2026. A total of 127 Adem graduates have returned to their home regions spread across several areas of Papua, while eight other participants returned earlier to take part in selection processes for the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the Indonesian National Police, and official higher education institutions. One Adem participant, Yazinta Kaipman from SMAN 1 Kejayan in Pasuruan, said she was grateful to have been part of the programme for three years in East Java. “As Papuan children, we did not feel alone here. We were welcomed very well, both at school and in our living environment,” she said.