Clash Occurs During Audience with Deputy Minister and Students
A clash occurred when the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Fauzan, appeared amid a student demonstration at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology office on Monday afternoon, 4 May 2026. Students from several universities in Jakarta immediately surrounded Fauzan as he exited the Kemendiktisaintek building under police escort.
The clash happened as students began arranging seating for the audience with Fauzan. Several students pushed each other and became emotionally provoked, exchanging heated words.
Other students who witnessed the incident and security personnel attempted to intervene. The tense situation did not last long after students from the National Development University Veteran Jakarta sang a warning song to avoid provocation.
“Be careful, be careful of provocation. Be careful, be careful of provocation,” went a snippet of the lyrics sung by the protesters. About 15 minutes later, the students followed instructions to sit as Fauzan did.
Representatives from the University of Indonesia, the Cipayung Plus Alliance, to the BEM SI Kerakyatan took turns voicing criticisms of education policies under President Prabowo Subianto’s leadership. The students protested because the 20 percent education budget from the state budget was partly allocated to the free nutritious meal project. They demanded the MBG be stopped.
Additionally, they complained about the discourse on closing several study programmes deemed irrelevant to field needs. “The ones at fault for opening programmes, the government is at fault for not being able to adjust to job market needs,” said a UI student representative wearing a yellow jacket.
Deputy Minister Fauzan then responded to several issues highlighted by the students. He stated there would be no closure of study programmes as previously mentioned by the Ministry.
“There is no closure of study programmes. What exists is reorganisation. That means reorganisation does not close. Reorganisation provides strengthening to the study programmes. And this is not just a teacher education issue, but also other study programmes,” he said.
The students were not immediately satisfied with Fauzan’s answer. He was labelled a liar by some students.
The student action throughout the afternoon in front of the Kemendiktisaintek building in Central Jakarta was accompanied by heavy rain. The BEM SI Kerakyatan group left the audience before Fauzan could respond to criticisms from the students. They headed to the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education because they felt their aspirations were not heard by Fauzan.