Ministry of Higher Education Partners with UAE to Strengthen Digital Talent Development
Jakarta – The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) has strengthened international collaboration with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), focusing on digital talent development, academic mobility, and research and innovation initiatives.
This was a key discussion point during an audience between Kemdiktisaintek and representatives of the UAE Embassy, received by Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Stella Christie at Kemdiktisaintek’s office on Monday, 9 March.
“We wish to expand the presence of international students in Indonesia as this plays an important role in supporting improvements to university reputation and ranking position globally,” said Deputy Minister Stella Christie in a statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Deputy Minister Stella noted that the presence of international students can make a genuine contribution to enhancing higher education institutions’ reputation whilst strengthening Indonesian universities’ position in various global rankings.
“The presence of international students is also important in bringing diversity and strengthening international perspectives within higher education environments. This dynamic also encourages institutions to continuously improve the quality of learning,” she added.
In line with this effort, Stella revealed that Kemdiktisaintek is also preparing an initiative to establish a Centre for Foreign Students to strengthen services, coordination, and promotion of Indonesian higher education for international students.
This initiative is expected to increase the attractiveness of Indonesian higher education institutions whilst supporting a more integrated internationalisation ecosystem for higher education.
Beyond discussing increased student mobility, the meeting also addressed plans for student visits from the UAE to Indonesia. Students will participate in academic activities and visit a number of Indonesian higher education institutions to learn about the higher education system, culture, and opportunities for further study.
Both parties also discussed opportunities for other collaborative initiatives, such as double degree programmes, joint research collaboration, and lecturer exchanges between higher education institutions in Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates. These collaborations are expected to strengthen the research and innovation ecosystem benefiting both nations.
Responding to the various collaborative opportunities, Chargé d’Affaires of the UAE Embassy in Indonesia, Shaima Salem Alhebsi, expressed appreciation for Indonesia’s commitment to expanding cooperation in the field of higher education.
The UAE also welcomed the various initiatives discussed in the meeting, particularly regarding strengthening student mobility and academic collaboration.
The meeting also discussed potential collaboration in digital talent development through the 10 Million Coders programme initiated by the UAE government. The programme aims to enhance the capacity of young people in artificial intelligence (AI) and coding, as part of efforts to strengthen digital transformation and a knowledge-based economy.