The Indonesian Higher Education, Science, and Technology Ministry held a bilateral meeting with the Malaysian Embassy on Thursday to strengthen strategic cooperation in higher education and research among ASEAN countries.
"The collaboration is important for strengthening relations between universities and paving the way for ASEAN cooperation that benefits the people of both countries," Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Brian Yuliarto, said in a statement in Jakarta on Friday.
Yuliarto said the agenda included forming a joint research group on AI, renewable energy, and rare earth management. The collaboration aims to generate applied research addressing global challenges and reinforce Indonesia's and Malaysia's roles as innovation hubs in ASEAN.
Furthermore, it was agreed to accelerate the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on higher education, science, and technology to strengthen and expand the potential and opportunities for cooperation between the two countries.
Yuliarto stated that Indonesia's higher education ecosystem is becoming more open and competitive, supported by excellent programs capable of attracting foreign students, particularly from ASEAN partner countries.
"By expanding access and improving the quality of higher education, Indonesia is expected to become a prime destination for Malaysian students seeking collaboration and innovation in science and technology," he added.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia, Dato Syed Mohamad Hasrin Tengku Hussin, sees collaborative efforts between Indonesian and Malaysian higher education institutions as a crucial step in ensuring the sustainability of joint research.
"Increasing student exchanges between Malaysia and Indonesia is something we want, so that there will be more interaction between the two communities and foster intercultural understanding," he said.
The meeting also discussed the importance of joint funding for collaborative research between professors. This type of scheme has proven effective in Indonesia's cooperation with Australia and France.
The cross-national collaboration is expected to yield practical innovations that will benefit society and industry broadly.
