Prabowo-Macron talks strengthen cooperation in education, research

hartono · May 30, 2026

Prabowo-Macron talks strengthen cooperation in education, research

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto meets with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, France, on Thursday (May 28, 2026). ANTARA/HO-Presidential Secretariat

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto’s state visit to Paris on Thursday (May 28) produced a shared commitment between Indonesia and France to step up cooperation in initiatives linked to higher education, research, and innovation.

In a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron, Prabowo stressed that strengthening partnership in the sector, which entails easing academic mobility, had been declared a key priority in bilateral cooperation.

Indonesia’s Higher Education, Science, and Technology Minister Brian Yuliarto welcomed the emerging prospects for stronger ties, according to a statement cited in Jakarta on Saturday.

He described the shared commitment as a cornerstone for Indonesia to enhance research capacity, boost human resource development, and improve competitiveness amid increasingly complex global dynamics.

“Cooperation between Indonesia and France in higher education, science, technology, and innovation represents a long-term investment aimed at boosting national competitiveness,” Yuliarto stated.

The minister highlighted that Indonesia could leverage the new milestone in bilateral ties to help universities broaden global networks and accelerate higher education reform, steering it toward adaptation to scientific and technological advancements.

“This collaboration will encourage high-quality research, augment human resource quality, and help bring innovation downstream to deliver concrete benefits to communities,” he added.

Indonesia and France laid out their shared commitment in the Joint Declaration on Education, Research, and Mobility.

The two countries also endorsed convening the Joint Working Group on Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, scheduled for July 2026 in Angers, France, as well as the France-Indonesia Year of Innovation 2026.

In the joint statement, Indonesia voiced interest in cooperating with France on developing a safe and sustainable ecosystem for nuclear energy.

Strengthening cooperation with France aligns with the Higher Education Ministry’s agenda of positioning Indonesian universities as powerhouses of innovation and solutions to development challenges.