Prabowo Holds Marathon Meetings in Hambalang, Discusses Geopolitics and Eid al-Fitr Preparations
President Prabowo Subianto convened a series of five late‑day meetings with Cabinet members at his private residence in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java. Secretary to the Cabinet (Seskab) Teddy Indra Wijaya explained that the meetings, held from the afternoon into the evening, covered education, geopolitical dynamics, and Eid al-Fitr travel readiness.
“From Sunday afternoon to night, President Prabowo Subianto held five different meetings with several Cabinet members at the Hambalang residence in Bogor, West Java, on 8 March 2026,” Seskab Teddy told reporters on Sunday (8/3/2026).
According to Teddy, in these meetings the President asked for the latest reports on developments of various issues and government strategic agendas, both domestically and in international dynamics. The first issue discussed was the progress of construction of ten new campuses focused on strengthening Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
“The progress of building 10 new campuses in STEM and medical education,” Teddy said.
Prabowo also requested reports on efforts to raise the quality of state universities so that they can compete on the international stage, and to broaden collaboration with top universities worldwide.
In the meetings, Teddy noted that the President also discussed developments in the global geopolitical situation, particularly the dynamics in the Middle East which are seen as having implications for global and regional conditions.
“The situation in the Middle East is linked to the escalation of geopolitics in Indonesia,” Teddy remarked.
Another topic discussed was the progress of the education program for Palestinian students in Indonesia, especially those studying at the Defense University. Teddy said that since he served as Defence Minister, from 2022 the President has invited 20 to 40 Palestinian children to study in Indonesia, and now the number has reached nearly 200 male and female students.
Beyond education and geopolitics, Prabowo also requested reports on the government’s readiness to face the Eid al-Fitr exodus. He emphasized that the government must ensure security and smooth travel during the pilgrimage period.
“Security readiness and smooth travel for the Eid al‑Fitr exodus in the 10 days leading up to Idul Fitri,” Teddy concluded.
Among the attendees at the strategic meetings were: Higher Education, Science, and Technology Minister Brian Yuliarto, Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Deputy Defence Minister Donny Ermawan, Rector of the Defense University Anton Nugroho, and President Director of PT Pindad Sigit Santosa.
In the course of these strategic meetings, Prabowo stressed the importance of cross‑ministry coordination to ensure that the government’s priority national agendas—ranging from strengthening education and technology mastery, responding to global geopolitical dynamics, to Eid al‑Fitr readiness—can be implemented optimally.