Atdikbud 2026 Webinar Opens Opportunities for Research and Overseas Scholarships
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government and Indonesian representatives abroad held the “Webinar Series Atdikbud and Wadetap RI-UNESCO 2026” on Saturday to provide information and expand access to global education.
According to a press release from the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra received in Jakarta on Saturday, more than 200 participants from various backgrounds attended the webinar, demonstrating the increasing need for credible information on overseas studies, collaborative research, and global education developments.
The webinar serves as a platform for Indonesian education diplomacy to strategically expand international connectivity, according to the embassy.
The event was opened by the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen) Abdul Mu’ti and the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Mendiksaintek) Brian Yuliarto.
“Strengthening basic literacy and character building are key to preparing a generation capable of adapting to the global landscape. The internationalisation of education should not only begin at higher education institutions but must be built from the school level,” said Abdul Mu’ti.
He added that Indonesian education needs to be increasingly open to relevant global practices without losing its roots in national values.
“We need to ensure that Indonesian children have global competencies while remaining rooted in national identity and character,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mendiksaintek Brian Yuliarto emphasised the importance of international collaboration as a primary strategy in developing national higher education and research.
“In the midst of the current global challenges’ complexity, cross-country collaboration is a necessity. We need to encourage impactful research, strengthen the innovation ecosystem, and open opportunities for Indonesian talent to contribute at the global level,” said Brian, while affirming that higher education must be able to become the engine of transformation.
“Universities are not only centres of learning but also centres of innovation connected to global networks. This is where the role of international collaboration becomes very strategic,” he added.
The webinar involved 14 Education and Culture Attachés and Indonesia’s permanent representatives at UNESCO, who play a strategic role in opening opportunities for scholarships, education partnerships, and inter-country research collaborations.
The series of events is scheduled from 25 April to 5 May 2026 and will discuss various regions of the world, such as Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas, to provide a comprehensive overview of educational opportunities.
The Indonesian Embassy in Canberra noted that the number of Indonesian students pursuing education abroad has shown a fairly consistent upward trend in recent years.
According to data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, in 2022, there were 62,828 Indonesian students studying abroad.
Globally, Indonesia ranks 22nd in the number of students studying abroad. At the regional level, Indonesia is one of the largest in Southeast Asia, second only to Vietnam.
The main destination countries for Indonesian students include Australia, Malaysia, Japan, the US, and several countries in Western Europe.