"Several campuses in Indonesia have collaborated with universities in France to strengthen the research ecosystem. In 2021, we have gained new achievements in the number of Indonesian students and researchers studying in France, which was 579 people," Makarim informed here on Friday.
The achievement has served as a motivation to further develop and expand the collaboration that has been well-established, he added.
"Especially, the ministry is prioritizing efforts to improve the quality of higher education through the breakthrough MBKM or Freedom in Learning and Campus program," he said.
Meanwhile, in her opening remarks at the 12th Joint Working Group (JWG) on Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship in Valenciennes, France, held from June 28–29, 2022, Secretary-general of the ministry Suharti revealed that the strategic cooperation that Indonesia has established with France has been going well.
"We hope that the established cooperation between the two countries will continue to develop and can support the priority programs of each country, as stated by Minister Makarim," she said.
At the 12th JWG meeting, Indonesia and France sought to encourage research cooperation in marine science, maritime science (oceanography), as well as climate change and environmental issues.
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In addition, the French Embassy to Indonesia discussed funding schemes to support collaboration, mobility, and scholarships.
Deputy director general at the Directorate General for Global Affairs, Culture, Education, and International Development of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE), Cyrille Pierre, said that the meeting yielded several benefits.
"JWG has the potential to create new partnerships in the academic field to shape the next generation of 3,500 researchers who are currently involved in bilateral research cooperation and join the France Alumni Indonesia platform along with (other) 2,700 people, which proves the vitality of the relationship," he added.
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Translator: Indriani, Kenzu T
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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