Indonesia, Turkiye Strengthen Strategic Academic Collaboration
This was revealed during a meeting between the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Brian Yuliarto, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkiye to Indonesia, Talip Küçükcan, in Jakarta on Monday (May 18).
“We will make various adjustments to strengthen cooperation in higher education, including the development of study centers, research programs, Indonesian and Turkish language and culture learning, and stronger collaboration in technology and innovation,” the minister noted in a statement on Tuesday.
Yuliarto views international cooperation as a crucial part of transforming Indonesian higher education to adapt to global challenges and future technological needs.
During the meeting, the Turkish Ambassador emphasized that Indonesia is an important strategic partner for Turkiye in both higher education development and future technology.
“Regarding innovation, development, and technology, we need more lecturers with PhDs. We can collaborate on various priorities, from technology and health to social sciences,” Ambassador Küçükcan said.
The two parties followed up on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on higher education cooperation signed between the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Technology and the Council of Higher Education of Turkey on February 12, 2025, in Bogor.
The collaboration covers several strategic areas, including student and lecturer mobility, joint research, academic exchanges, the development of joint and double-degree programs, the strengthening of higher education forums, and technological innovation.
Additionally, both countries are preparing to convene a Joint Working Group (JWG) on higher education to facilitate the further implementation of these initiatives.
The forum will focus on developing partnerships in priority areas such as sustainable agricultural technology, health technology, medical infrastructure, defense technology, sustainable natural resource downstreaming, advanced manufacturing, digitalization, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, renewable energy, disaster management, and marine science.
Furthermore, both parties highlighted opportunities to establish a joint vaccine research center, develop medical education programs, and increase the number of Indonesian doctoral faculty members through master’s and PhD programs at Turkish universities.
Currently, there are 431 active collaborations between Indonesian and Turkish universities, encompassing student exchanges, scientific conferences, joint research, and curriculum development.
Several Indonesian institutions actively partnering with Turkish universities include Marsekal Suryadarma Dirgantara University, Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Airlangga University, Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta, and Darussalam Gontor University.
Translator: Sean Filo M, Resinta Sulistiyandari