January 15, 2026 | 09:33 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has instructed his staff to recalculate the allocation of recipients for the Education Fund Management Institute (LPDP) scholarships. Prabowo wishes for these scholarships to be predominantly granted for studies in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
The State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi stated that Prabowo has requested the LPDP scholarship funds to focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). "He has given instructions to allocate more funds from LPDP scholarships to STEM," said Prasetyo at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
Prasetyo mentioned that Prabowo hopes that the LPDP allocation for science and technology fields reaches above 80 percent of the total scholarship recipients. He stated that this is because Indonesia needs to catch up with other countries when it comes to mastering science and technology.
Additionally, Prabowo also aims to increase the number of government educational scholarships. The Head of State, as per Prasetyo, wishes for scholarships to be accessible to as many beneficiaries as possible.
According to Prasetyo, currently only around 1.1 million Indonesian students receive government scholarships through the Smart Indonesia Card (KIP) program. On the other hand, he stated that the total number of students is 9.9 million.
Prasetyo mentioned that Prabowo conveyed these scholarship allocation directives in a meeting with professors and university leaders at the Presidential Palace on Thursday. Prabowo invited approximately 1,200 professors to attend this closed meeting.
Aside from discussing scholarships, Prabowo also addressed various other topics in front of the academics. Cecep Darmawan, a Professor of Political Science at the Indonesian University of Education (UPI), who attended the meeting, shared the content of the forum.
Cecep revealed that the meeting with the head of state took place from 09:00 to 12:00 local time. During these three hours, Prabowo discussed various challenges and opportunities for the future of Indonesia.
Prabowo then urged universities and academics to assist the government in changing the nation's mindset. "So, we are called upon to optimistically act on how to change the mindset about Indonesia," said Cecep to Tempo on Wednesday.
During the gathering, Prabowo also showcased the government's success in seizing hundreds of trillions and 4 million hectares of illegal oil palm plantations. The state head then promised that a portion of the confiscated funds would be utilized to support education programs. "Specifically, your research funds will be increased," he stated.
Dede Leni Mardianti contributed to this article
Read: Prabowo Raises Campus Research Funding to Rp12 Trillion
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