Hambalang, May 31, 2025 – The Europe Today: President Prabowo Subianto received the United Kingdom’s International Education Champion, Prof. Sir Steve Smith, at his Hambalang residence on Friday to discuss expanding cooperation in the education sector, as confirmed by Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
The meeting emphasized strategic initiatives to deepen academic collaboration, particularly through the establishment of institutional partnerships between Indonesian universities and leading UK institutions.
“Several universities from the UK have expressed a strong interest in opening campuses in Indonesia,” Wijaya stated in an official briefing released by the Presidential Secretariat.
Three primary areas of focus emerged from the discussion:
- Strengthening partnerships between Indonesian and British universities.
- Increasing the number of Indonesian students studying at top UK institutions — both in the UK and at potential future branch campuses in Indonesia.
- Fostering research collaboration, especially in the downstream processing of Indonesia’s 28 priority natural resources, as identified by Astacita.
Wijaya emphasized that the President views academic and research cooperation as critical to advancing Indonesia’s innovation capacity and global competitiveness.
The British delegation included Prof. Sir Steve Smith, UK Ambassador to Indonesia Dominic Jermey, and senior academic leaders from the Russell Group, a prestigious network representing 24 of the UK’s top universities. Notable attendees included:
- Prof. Helen Bailey, Queen Mary University of London
- Prof. Funmi Olonisakin, King’s College London
- Prof. Tariq Ali, University of Liverpool
- Mr. Summer Xia, British Council Country Director for Indonesia
President Prabowo was accompanied by top officials from his Cabinet, including:
- Prof. Brian Yuliarto, Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology
- Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs
- Prasetyo Hadi, Minister of State Secretary
- Teddy Indra Wijaya, Cabinet Secretary
The meeting marked a significant step forward in Indonesia–UK bilateral education ties, laying the groundwork for enhanced academic mobility, collaborative research, and institutional presence that will benefit students and scholars in both countries.
