JAKARTA – Indonesia is seeking to deepen higher education cooperation with Canada by expanding talent development initiatives, student and academic mobility, joint research, and partnerships between universities.
Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Brian Yuliarto said the government is committed to strengthening academic ties with Canada, which has been identified as one of the main destinations for graduates under Indonesia's Garuda Top School programme.
He said the initiative aims to help outstanding Indonesian students gain admission to leading universities worldwide.
“We hope that Canadian universities will support Indonesia by admitting our students, enabling them to pursue their higher education there,” he said in a statement on July 2 following a meeting with Indonesian Ambassador to Canada Muhsin Syihab, as reported by Antara.
Yuliarto said academic cooperation between Indonesia and Canada continues to grow, supported by 108 active agreements between universities in both countries.
He said the partnerships cover student exchanges, collaborative research, joint academic programme development, and the organisation of scientific seminars.
Meanwhile, Syihab said Canada's decentralised higher education system, which is administered at the provincial level, provides extensive opportunities for more targeted institutional collaboration.
He said the Indonesian Embassy in Ottawa would continue working to facilitate stronger partnerships between universities in both countries.
“We will put every effort into establishing tangible, mutually beneficial collaboration,” he said.
The meeting, held in Jakarta on June 30, also reviewed ways to optimise the Indonesia Maju and Garuda scholarship programmes for Indonesians planning to study or currently pursuing higher education in Canada.
Both sides also discussed strengthening pre-departure preparation, academic readiness, cultural adaptation, and continued government support for Indonesian students throughout their studies abroad.
