Ministry urges universities to boost appeal through KNB Scholarships
The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) is encouraging Indonesian universities to increase the appeal of national education in order to attract more international students through the Developing Countries Partnership Scholarship (KNB) programme. The KNB scholarship is expected to serve as a catalyst for promoting the quality of Indonesian education while strengthening campus internationalisation.
Mukhamad Najib, Director of Institutional Affairs at the Directorate General of Higher Education, Kemdiktisaintek, stated that higher education is a strategic instrument for drawing foreign students, citing the success of Australia and Malaysia in attracting hundreds of thousands of international students even though government scholarship portions there do not dominate. “Countries like Australia and Malaysia are able to attract large numbers of international students independently. One day, we want that to happen in Indonesia as well,” Najib said during the 2026 KNB Scholarship Selection Plenary Meeting held online at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) on Thursday.
Regarding this year’s selection process, Najib acknowledged an increase in the number of participating universities while the budget availability remained unchanged. This means the quota of scholarship recipients is adjusted to the existing allocation. He stressed, however, that the programme’s success lies not in the quantity of recipients but in the quality of academic and non-academic services. According to him, excellent service quality will leave a lasting impression on foreign students.
Beyond the educational aspect, the KNB scholarship is also deemed to play a strategic role in strengthening Indonesia’s diplomatic relations with friendly countries. Universities are therefore urged to provide the best possible experience so that international students carry a positive image of Indonesia when they return to their home countries. “KNB is an important part of maintaining diplomacy with friendly nations. Please provide the best experience for them, so that the messages they take home are messages of goodwill about Indonesia,” said the Director of Institutional Affairs at the Directorate General of Higher Education, Kemdiktisaintek.