NARASINETWORK.COM - On 27 January 2026, President Prabowo Subianto convened ministers from the Red and White Cabinet at his residence in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java. The gathering looked at progress in education cooperation between Indonesia and leading universities in the United Kingdom.
In a written statement, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said the President had brought together relevant ministers to review how higher education partnerships are being delivered, with focus on building skilled human resources. "The meeting looked at progress in education cooperation between Indonesia and a number of prominent UK universities," said Wijaya.
At the meeting, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Brian Yuliarto presented a report on work to strengthen Indonesia’s national higher education system. The report covered developments in health sciences and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) through international collaboration.
Yuliarto said the President’s initiative to establish ten campuses focused on health and STEM fields – in partnership with leading UK universities – had received positive feedback from partner institutions. The initiative was set out by President Prabowo during the UK-Indonesia Education Roundtable at Lancaster House in London on 20 January 2026, where he noted Indonesia needs to address gaps in medical workforce numbers.
Indonesia currently graduates around 9,000 doctors each year, while the country needs an additional 140,000 medical practitioners. A large number of existing professionals are approaching retirement, meaning higher education capacity in priority fields must be expanded. The new campuses will follow UK higher education standards, with English as the main language of instruction. High-performing Indonesian students will get government scholarships and complete English training before starting their studies. Each campus will be connected to an accredited teaching hospital to improve healthcare services and cut spending on medical treatment abroad.
Several UK universities, including the University of Liverpool and other members of the Russell Group, have started working with Indonesia. The partnership aligns with the UK government’s International Education Strategy 2026, which places education at the heart of global engagement.
The Hambalang meeting showed the government’s focus on making sure international partnerships improve education quality, national self-sufficiency and Indonesia’s ability to compete globally in science and technology.
