Minister Urges Scholarship Recipients Not to Be 'Spoilt' While Studying Abroad
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Mendiktisaintek) Brian Yuliarto has urged recipients of the Garuda Scholarship to shed any spoilt attitudes and transform into tough fighters while pursuing education abroad and upon returning to Indonesia.
During the orientation for the Unggul Garuda Transformation High School Programme and the first batch of 2026 Garuda Scholarship awardees in Jakarta on Thursday, the minister highlighted the phenomenon of overseas graduates being reluctant to return to Indonesia, citing a lack of facilities or the absence of suitable job opportunities in their fields.
Mendiktisaintek stated that such reasons are unjustifiable, as the awardees are high-achieving individuals who should be brave enough to compete and create new opportunities domestically, rather than merely waiting to be facilitated by the state.
“If you are the best, why should you be afraid to compete in Indonesia against those who could not go abroad? So do not be afraid, and do not complain after passing the selection that there is no one to facilitate you. If there is no suitable field, you create one in Indonesia,” said Minister Brian Yuliarto.
Drawing from his own tough experience of cleaning train carriages at midnight, he reminded the students not to be whiny or complain easily over trivial matters, such as a one- or two-day delay in the disbursement of scholarship funds.
Beyond physical resilience, the minister cautioned these top students against the trap of intellectual arrogance or the “smartest in the room” syndrome. According to Minister Brian, feeling like the smartest person is the beginning of a disaster, as it breeds a fragile mentality when faced with real academic pressure at the world’s top universities.
He noted that people with a problem-solving, resilient character focus more on resolving issues than merely complaining. He even challenged the awardees to be independent by seeking their own master’s degree scholarships from professors abroad, without demanding further facilities from the Indonesian government after completing their undergraduate studies.
“Finally, I leave you with this message: be humble, be modest. It turns out that great people are those who do not create much drama, do not show off much, but rather those who work with perseverance,” said Mendiktisaintek Brian Yuliarto.