"These are the areas in which we hope to conduct joint research between professors at Saudi Arabia's universities and professors in Indonesia," Minister Yuliarto remarked.
Yuliarto made this statement following his meeting with Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Indonesia, ASEAN, and Timor-Leste, Faisal Abdullah H. Amodi, at the Embassy of Saudi Arabia, here on Tuesday (May 6).
At the meeting, which was also attended by rectors from several leading universities in Indonesia, Yuliarto stated that in addition to encouraging joint research, he also proposed cooperation in sending doctoral students as visiting scholars to campuses in Saudi Arabia.
He also suggested establishing cooperation on joint degree programs for doctoral degrees and double degrees between Indonesian and Saudi universities, expressing hope that these initiatives could be implemented in the near future.
Minister Yuliarto also expressed keenness to establish joint research funding immediately to support their joint research and is optimistic that rectors from Indonesia will immediately meet and conduct matchmaking with university partners in Saudi Arabia.
"Of course, we are also very happy to receive visits from world-class top professors from universities in Saudi Arabia to become guest professors at the campuses here," he stated.
"We would also be very happy to welcome students from Saudi Arabia to study here either for one semester or one year as a visiting school," the minister further noted.
Yuliarto remarked that the meeting was a follow-up to his previous discussion with the ambassador of Saudi Arabia in March.
The meeting also coincided with the 75th anniversary of Indonesia's close relations with Saudi Arabia.
Through the meeting, he expressed hope that the proposed cooperation would be realized soon and become a long-lasting program.
Meanwhile, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Indonesia, ASEAN, and Timor-Leste, Faisal Abdullah H. Amodi, welcomed the cooperation proposal presented by the higher education, science, and technology minister and promised to forward it to the relevant authorities for quick discussion.
"All of these requests and suggestions will be our main concern, and we will convey them to the relevant authorities, so that they can be discussed quickly and directly and be put into practice by both countries," the ambassador stated.
He said that the potential for cooperation between universities in the two countries is wide open, given the presence of numerous international-standard universities in Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.
He also highlighted that hundreds of Indonesian students are currently studying in Saudi Arabia, reflecting the strong educational ties between both nations.
He expressed hope that cooperation between universities in both countries would be intensified to further strengthen the cooperative relationship between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, especially in the field of education.
Related news: Indonesia, Iran strengthen education and technology ties
Related news: RI Govt urges varsities to create graduates who make positive change
Translator: Katriana
Editor: Arie Novarina
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
