LPDP Scholarship Recipients This Year Must Attend Briefing at Halim Air Base
Recipients of scholarships from the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) this year are required to attend a pre-departure briefing programme filled by the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI). The programme is mandatory for all scholarship recipients in master’s (S2) and doctoral (S3) programmes, whether for domestic or overseas studies, before commencing their academic period.
Based on a letter obtained by Tempo, the event will be held at the Marshal Sukardi Building, Lanud Halim Perdanakusuma, from 4 to 9 May 2026. The letter states that participants are required to follow a series of activities over six days.
It is also stated that the activity is intended to strengthen mindset patterns, independence, instil noble Indonesian national values, reinforce nationalism, and internalise LPDP cultural values.
In addition, participants are expected to understand values and cultures of integrity, professionalism, synergy, service, and excellence. “Therefore, we are implementing a series of mandatory briefing activities for LPDP scholarship recipients,” reads the letter signed by LPDP Director Dwi Larso. The letter was issued on Friday, 24 April 2026.
The Head of the Legal and Communications Division of the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education, M. Lukmanul Hakim, confirmed the existence of the agenda. However, he denied that the activity is a state defence programme.
“In preparation for the departure of LPDP recipients, there is a pre-departure briefing activity carried out through various methods, both offline, including at Lanud Halim Perdanakusuma, and online, in accordance with the arrangements for each batch,” said Lukman when contacted on Friday night, 1 May 2026.
According to Lukman, the activity is essentially similar to the pre-departure briefings for scholarship recipients in previous years. The difference lies only in the location of implementation, which this year is held in a military base area.
“The selection of location and implementation method does not change the objectives or content of the briefing provided,” he said.
When asked whether the material would be delivered by the Indonesian National Armed Forces, Lukman did not answer definitively. He only stated that the briefing material focuses on strengthening character, national values, discipline, mental readiness, and ethics as state scholarship recipients.
One scholarship recipient who will attend the activity admitted to questioning the involvement of military elements in the briefing agenda. According to him, information received by participants indicates that the event will be filled by presenters from the military circle.
He also questioned the rules during the event. Participants are said to stay in tents and are restricted from using mobile phones to only one hour per day.
“I got info that we will stay in tents, and we are not allowed to hold mobile phones during the event. Only allowed to hold mobile phones for one hour a day. Almost everyone is questioning, why?” said the source.
According to him, several scholarship recipients have expressed objections to LPDP management. However, he said, the organisers stated that those provisions are management’s decision.
“They said before there was negotiation, the conditions even prohibited mobile phones altogether. After negotiation, it became one hour a day. Basically, they said this is already management’s decision,” he said.