LPDP Involves TNI in Briefing for Scholarship Recipients
The Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) has stated that the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) are involved in the pre-departure briefing activities for this year’s LPDP scholarship recipients. LPDP clarified that TNI’s involvement is solely to facilitate outdoor activities.
The Head of the Law and Communications Division of LPDP, M. Lukmanul Hakim, explained that TNI personnel will guide the outdoor activities as part of the briefing programme for scholarship recipients. “This outdoor event has been programmed and conducted in previous batches. It is not new in the implementation of LPDP recipient briefings,” Lukman said on Saturday, 2 May 2026.
According to Lukman, the outdoor activities are designed to build cooperation among participants. He stated that other briefing materials cover character strengthening, national values, discipline, mental preparedness, and ethics as recipients of state scholarships.
Lukman emphasised that the agenda is not the same as civic defence training, even though it is held in a military area and involves TNI personnel.
Based on the activity letter received by Tempo, the briefing will take place from 4 to 9 May 2026 at the Marsekal Sukardi Building, Lanud Halim Perdanakusuma. Some materials in the agenda will be delivered by TNI.
A total of 206 participants are scheduled to attend the event. They consist of recipients of master’s and doctoral programme scholarships, both for studies in Indonesia and abroad. The entire series of activities is mandatory before participants begin their studies.
The letter states that the briefing aims to strengthen mindset, independence, instil noble national values, reinforce nationalism, and internalise LPDP values and culture.
However, the policy has drawn objections from several scholarship recipients. One participant, who declined to be named, questioned the involvement of TNI in delivering materials.
According to him, participants were informed that they would stay in tents during the event and be restricted to using mobile phones for only one hour per day.
“I got info that we will stay in tents, and we are not allowed to use handphones during the event. We can only use handphones for one hour a day. Almost everyone is questioning, what’s the point?” he said.
He mentioned that several scholarship recipients have lodged protests with LPDP. However, he said, management stated that the rules are a final decision.
“They said before negotiations, the conditions even prohibited handphones altogether. After negotiations, it became one hour a day. Basically, they said this is already management’s decision,” he stated.