Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Brian Yuliarto expressed Indonesia’s keenness to strengthen bilateral ties by engaging Japan in more collaborative initiatives in the higher education sector.

While receiving a visit from Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Yasushi Masaki at his office in Jakarta on Thursday (March 6), Yuliarto highlighted the potential for cooperation in joint research, university consortiums, and scholarship programs.

“We have been enjoying great cooperation with Japan. I would like to seize the opportunity for further collaboration, including through a joint research program whose results are mutually beneficial for both countries,” he remarked.

Yuliarto then underlined that the Indonesia-Japan educational partnership has involved various universities across the two countries, including Gadjah Mada University, IPB University, Bandung Technology Institute (ITB), University of Indonesia, Brawijaya University, Hiroshima University, Saga University, Tohoku University, Kagoshima University, and Kobe University.

He noted that in 2024, a total of 89 Japanese nationals were registered as students at various higher education institutions in Indonesia.

During the meeting, the minister also told the ambassador that President Prabowo Subianto had set several priority goals for his administration, including self-sufficiency in food, energy security, clean water availability, the downstreaming of natural resources, and digital transformation.

"Our plan is to achieve these five goals through innovation and the use of technology. I hope that Indonesia's collaboration with Japan will contribute to this end," he affirmed.

Ambassador Masaki, for his part, positively received the Indonesian government's interest in advancing its cooperation with Japan.

He also invited Minister Yuliarto to deliver a keynote speech at an upcoming forum that will bring together rectors from Indonesia and Japan. This event first took place in 2010 as a joint working group.

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Translator: Sean FIlo, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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