According to an official statement received here on Thursday, Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Brian Yuliarto encouraged various parties, especially educational institutions in the US, to participate in the scholarship funding scheme.
This initiative was prompted by the high interest and large number of Indonesian applicants seeking to pursue studies in the US.
"The United States is a favorite destination for further education because we understand all aspects of its educational quality, which is among the best currently available," he remarked.
Yuliarto stated that his ministry is also exploring similar potential collaborations with countries that offer scholarship programs, such as Australia with its Australia Awards Scholarships (AAS), as well as France and the United Kingdom.
During the meeting, he expressed hope that AMINEF could serve as a bridge for collaboration with other partners, including the US government and universities, in the form of additional support, such as scholarships or tuition waivers, for Indonesian government scholarship recipients.
"With a relatively stable budget, we want to increase the number of recipients and offer this program to all countries. For example, if we can currently send 4,500 people, with additional support, we hope to send five thousand to six thousand people," he stated.
In response, AMINEF Executive Director Sandra Hamid welcomed the ministry's initiative and expressed readiness to assist and open up further opportunities for collaboration, including the exchange of teaching staff and professors between the two countries.
"We also send Indonesian lecturers abroad. We have a program for that," she remarked.
AMINEF is a binational organization that manages the Fulbright scholarship program and other exchange programs funded by the US and Indonesian governments.
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Translator: Sean Filo Muhamad, Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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