British Universities Invited to Establish 10 World-Class Campuses in Indonesia

London: President Prabowo Subianto has invited leading British universities to collaborate in establishing 10 new world-class universities in Indonesia, as part of efforts to accelerate the country’s higher education development.

The invitation was delivered during the UK–Indonesia Education Roundtable held at Lancaster House in London on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.

“We want to invite them to collaborate. British universities already have extensive partnerships with the University of Indonesia, Gadjah Mada University, and many others. They also operate campuses in Indonesia, including in Singosari and Bandung, particularly in areas we urgently need, such as digital technology,” Prabowo told reporters after the event.

“We want to accelerate our progress and catch up. We must achieve the highest level of education, on par with the best in the world,” he added as quoted from Presidenri.go.id, Wednesday, 21 January 2026.

In his opening remarks at the forum, Prabowo highlighted Indonesia’s severe shortage of medical professionals, including doctors and dentists. He said the country currently lacks around 140,000 doctors, while annual graduates remain limited.

“We only produce around 9,000 doctors each year. At that rate, it will take many years to close the gap, especially as senior doctors continue to retire. This is a challenge that requires a strategic solution,” he said.

To address the shortage, Prabowo said the government plans to establish 10 new universities focused on medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, science, and technology. The institutions will be built to international standards and will use English as the primary language of instruction.

“I want to adopt British standards — the highest educational standards from the best universities in the UK,” he said.

The president added that students admitted to the new universities will be top-performing graduates and will receive full government scholarships. They will also undergo intensive English-language training prior to enrollment. Indonesia is open to working with the British Council, including the use of IELTS standards.

Prabowo also outlined plans to build international-standard teaching hospitals on each campus, a move aimed at improving domestic healthcare services and reducing Indonesians’ reliance on medical treatment abroad.

“If we do this, we could save up to USD 6 billion annually — funds that can be redirected to strengthening our universities and hospitals,” he said.

The president emphasized Indonesia’s openness to foreign lecturers and professors, including visiting faculty from partner universities, saying such collaboration would be mutually beneficial for both education and healthcare development.

Prabowo expressed optimism that preparations could be completed in time for the new universities to begin admitting students in 2028.

“By early 2028, we could welcome the first cohort. We plan to build a dedicated education region and ensure high standards of quality of life, safety, and security to attract foreign academics to work in Indonesia,” he concluded.