Academics Propose Doctoral Scholarships for Lecturers to President Prabowo
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - A number of recommendations were presented to President Prabowo Subianto by academics during the National Convention of Science, Technology, and Industry (KSTI) 2026. He expressed appreciation for the various proposals, including one that particularly caught his attention.
One of the key proposals was the allocation of doctoral scholarships for lecturers at both public and private universities. He confirmed that this proposal would be acted upon. “For example, the proposal for the allocation of doctoral scholarships for lecturers at both public and private universities and so on, this is a very good proposal, we will follow it up,” he stated on Sunday (28/6/2026).
Another proposal involved allocating a portion of the profits from State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) to support national research and innovation. He noted that the government is continuously improving the governance of BUMN so that these companies become healthier and can make a greater contribution to national development.
Proposals regarding the strengthening of downstream industries were also discussed. Prabowo stressed that Indonesia aspires to produce final goods with high added value, rather than merely processing raw materials. “There was also a strategy from Bengkulu on how to move from processing raw materials to creating final products. I think that is our aspiration, but we must go through the process first. Even the first process, our desire to process materials domestically, requires a huge effort. But God willing, we will get there,” he explained.
A proposal concerning cooperation between domestic and international universities also received his attention. “I think this is correct, we will move in that direction later,” he said.
On the occasion, Prabowo also spoke about the importance of maintaining academic freedom on campuses. He stated that differences of opinion are normal in higher education, as long as they are directed towards generating ideas and innovations that benefit society. He asked universities to focus on developing science and technology for the benefit of the people. Prabowo reminded that the education ecosystem, both public and private, receives state support through various subsidies. “Let the campuses actively engage in science and technology to provide benefits to the people who finance these campuses, who finance all educational institutions. The private sector plays a very important role, but the private sector also enjoys the people’s money from electricity subsidies, fuel subsidies, with all the efforts we make. So, brothers and sisters, this is about being a nation,” he said.