International. Indonesia’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology is strengthening cooperation with the United Kingdom to boost research capacity and expand transnational higher education, the ministry said after a high-level meeting in Jakarta.
Minister Brian Yuliarto welcomed the UK delegation — including Sir Steve Smith, the UK International Education Champion, and Dominic Jermey, the UK Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste — for discussions on joint research, credit-transfer arrangements for joint and double degrees, and branch campus collaborations.
The ministry emphasized a dual focus: increasing basic research capacity and ensuring research outputs are downstreamed into industry and commercialization. Minister Brian expressed hope for more joint research projects between Indonesian and UK universities, and for flexible joint-degree schemes such as 3+1 for undergraduates and 3+1+1 for master’s programs that expand student mobility while preserving academic quality.
Delegation members highlighted the potential of international branch campuses to transfer world-class research environments to Indonesia. Existing partnerships — noted by officials — include UK-linked branch models that can strengthen local research ecosystems and widen access to high-quality international degrees at lower cost than studying abroad.
Practical steps discussed by both sides included scaling joint research funding, designing robust credit-transfer and quality assurance frameworks for joint/double degrees, and improving regulatory incentives to attract reputable foreign institutions to establish high-standard branches in Indonesia. Officials agreed these collaborations should prioritize research with clear pathways to commercialization and national benefit.
Indonesia’s government views international partnerships with established UK institutions as a strategic route to raise university competitiveness, broaden student access to global education, and accelerate applied research that supports industry growth.
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