Prabowo at KSTI: Professors Are the Smartest People in a Nation

President Prabowo Subianto has stated that professors represent the finest intellectual group within a nation. According to him, a country’s progress is highly dependent on its ability to utilise the potential of academics as the engine of innovation. He made these remarks during the National Science, Technology, and Industry Convention (KSTI) Indonesia 2026 at the Jakarta Convention Centre, Senayan, Jakarta, on Friday. Prabowo considered the moment an honour, addressing the assembled professors. “This is indeed a great honour for me to speak before so many professors. I have always believed that professors are the smartest people in a country,” Prabowo said. “So, if a country wants to rise and advance, it must utilise and mobilise the potential and capabilities of its campuses and universities,” he continued. Prabowo stressed that his statement was not mere flattery. He views professors as intellectual assets who play a vital role in determining the direction of the nation’s progress. “Ladies and gentlemen, I said earlier, this is not flattery, it is a reality. You who are professors are indeed the smartest people that the Indonesian nation possesses,” he stated. He noted that every innovation, change, and advancement in human civilisation has always been born from the thoughts of the best minds. Therefore, a nation’s development cannot be separated from the progress of science and technology.