Jakarta, IO – President Prabowo Subianto hosted a delegation from Imperial College London at the Merdeka Palace on Monday. The meeting centered on a strategic partnership aimed at elevating the quality of higher education in Indonesia, with a particular focus on medicine and science.

Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Brian Yuliarto, who accompanied Prabowo during the meeting, said collaborating with Imperial College London is part of the government’s broader push to strengthen the national education and research ecosystem.

“We have discussed several matters with Imperial College regarding our plan to build a strategic partnership to enhance the quality of education in Indonesia, especially medical education,” he said.

During the audience, Brian noted that Prabowo laid out blueprints to establish 10 new medical and science universities across Indonesia. Imperial College London is slated to support the development of these institutions by strengthening curricula, setting teaching standards, fostering joint research, and facilitating international faculty engagement.

“Mr President’s plan to establish 10 medical and science universities was a key point of discussion, and Imperial College will heavily assist this initiative. The curriculum, the preparation of teaching standards, joint research, and visiting professorships will be conducted in close collaboration with Imperial College, alongside other campuses,” he added.

According to Brian, the partnership is a calculated move to drive up the standard of Indonesian higher education, aligning with Prabowo’s commitment to developing top-tier human capital through education and research.

“Mr President receiving Imperial College today is an excellent milestone. As we know, the QS World University Rankings recently placed Imperial College second in the world, just behind MIT,” he said.

Brian expressed optimism that the ripple effects of this collaboration would extend far beyond the 10 planned medical institutions, benefiting existing universities nationwide.

“We are confident that the impact will be felt by other campuses throughout Indonesia. We hope this meeting, granted directly by Mr President, opens the door to broader strategic cooperation across the Indonesian educational landscape,” he said.

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Brian further noted that the partnership presents a massive opportunity to upgrade national teaching and research capabilities, given Imperial College London’s global prestige in medicine and science.

“Imperial College ranks fourth globally for medical education. If this cooperation is fully realized, it represents a major opportunity for Indonesia to work side-by-side with a world-class institution to elevate our teaching and research. Ultimately, we expect this will also raise the global rankings of our own domestic universities,” Brian explained.

Leveraging Imperial College London’s elite standing in medicine, the partnership is envisioned as a catalyst for national academic reform, accelerating the development of a new generation of Indonesian doctors, scientists, and researchers capable of competing on the global stage. (des)