Fikri Faqih urges government to evaluate LPDP recipient service obligation scheme

Abdul Fikri Faqih, a member of the X Commission of the Indonesian House of Representatives, has urged the government to evaluate the service obligation scheme for LPDP scholarship recipients. He argued for prioritising the provision of a robust domestic research ecosystem rather than simply insisting on rigid physical repatriation. In his view, nationalism should not be measured solely by domicile, but by tangible contributions and the network of science and knowledge built for the nation. “We must not merely demand their return, but here they risk being stifled academically because laboratories are lacking and the research ecosystem does not support them. We must provide a ‘home’ worthy of their work,” he said in Jakarta on Tuesday, 3 March 2026. The PKS party politician cited the example of BJ Habibie, who was willing to return because the state provided a platform in strategic industry. He stressed that without adequate facilities, Indonesia’s best talents in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics—or STEM—will continue to be absorbed by overseas industries that value their expertise more. Fikri also proposed shifting the concept from brain drain to brain circulation, whereby the diaspora living abroad is still considered to be contributing as long as they act as a bridge of technology and research for Indonesian institutions. “The government needs to improve coordination between ministries so that these top graduates do not hit bureaucratic walls when they want to contribute. Do not let our pearls shine only in foreign lands because we fail to provide them a home here,” he said. (*)