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Indonesia is a beautiful country, and relatively less explored. The country consists of thousands of islands, and is Southeast Asia’s largest economy. It is home to hundreds of ethnic, cultural, and language groups. This makes it the perfect destination for international students who like to have a study experience like no other place.
For an international student, Indonesia is an excellent choice. For a reasonable price, you’ll be getting a high quality education. The country has it all, filled with great food, beautiful sights and friendly people.
You will find higher education institutions in both public and private spheres across Indonesia. The Ministry of Education and Culture oversees both sorts of institutions. Education has experienced dramatic growth since the country got independent in 1945. Universities in Indonesia use the traditional three-tiered degree system: bachelor ‘s degree, master’s degree and doctoral degree, as well as Associate degree. Indonesia’s three universities rank top 500 in the QS World University Ranking. These are Universitas Indonesia, Bandung Technology Institute (ITB), and Gadjah Mada University.
In Indonesian universities around 6,000 international students are enrolled. Many programs for those who do not speak the Indonesian language are taught in English or other languages. Studying in Indonesia, however, is a fantastic opportunity to pick up another language, a skill which looks great on your CV/resume.
You can study in Indonesia on fully funded or partially funded scholarships. Government of Indonesia and universities in Indonesia offer scholarships to international students every year and we have listed here some best scholarships in Indonesia below.
1. Airlangga Development Scholarship
Airlangga Development Scholarship is a program provided for international students who would like to pursue their master degree or doctoral degree in Universitas Airlangga. This is a non-fully funded scholarship.
This program aims to assist bright students in pursuing their further studies in Universitas Airlangga for better education and better future. It is intended for candidates from developing countries all over the world. These scholarships in Indonesia offer many kind of programs, both for master and doctoral degree, ranging from health, natural, and social sciences.
The service covers:
- A complimentary Indonesian
- Language class for academic purpose for one year before starting the study (for Master Program)
- Visa conversion fee
2. AUN-ACTS UI Study Award for Inbound Students
Universitas Indonesia offers a scholarship program called “UI Study Award”. This scholarship is given as financial support as much as IDR 22,500,000 to incoming students who spend a one-semester exchange at Universitas Indonesia. The students should meet the following criteria:
- Accepted as an exchange student at Universitas Indonesia under AUN-ACTS scheme
- Applying for the award with approval from home university (submitting a recommendation letter from home university)
- Enrolled as an active student of AUN member universities
3. Kemitraan Negara Berkembang (KNB) Scholarship
Government of the Republic Indonesia trough Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education provided the Kemitraan Negara Berkembang (KNB) Scholarship since 2006. These scholarships in Indonesia bestow opportunity for potential students in developing countries to advance their knowledge and competencies by studying and earning master degree at 15 prominent universities in Indonesia. The KNB’s awardees could experience the life in the culturally most diverse nation in the world and expected become the academic-cultural agent for spreading Indonesian culture and languages.
The program objectives are including:
- To contribute in the human resource development in the developing countries
- To promote deeper cultural understanding among developing countries
- To strengthen the relationship and cooperation among developing countries
4. DARMASISWA Scholarship Programs
DARMASISWA is a scholarship program offered to all foreign students from countries which have diplomatic relationship with Indonesia to study Bahasa, art and culture. Participants can choose one of selected universities located in different cities in Indonesia. This program is organized by the Ministry of Education and Culture (MoEC) in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
The DARMASISWA program was started in 1974 as part of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) initiative, admitting only students from ASEAN. However, in 1976 this program was extended to include students from other countries such as Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and USA. In early 90’s, this program was extended further to include all countries which have diplomatic relationship with Indonesia. Until to date, the number of countries participating in this program is more than 135 countries.
The main purpose of the DARMASISWA program is to promote and increase the interest in the language and culture of Indonesia among the youth of other countries. It has also been designed to provide stronger cultural links and understanding among participating countries.
5. Gadjah Mada International Fellowship Program
Gadjah Mada International Fellowship Program is dedicated for designated Full-time Master’s degree by coursework and thesis. The purpose of the scholarships in Indonesia is to encourage potential candidates with excellent academic performance who wish to pursue Master Program in the field of Sustainable Development areas with specific competence as researchers, policy makers or professionals.
The financial support and facilities are including:
- 1 semester of Indonesian Language Program (INCULS)
- 1 time air ticket (return) from home country to UGM
- 4 semesters free tuition fee
- 5 semesters free university dormitory
- 5 semesters of monthly living allowance
- Insurance
- Thesis research fund
6. Telkom University Scholarship Program
Telkom University (Tel-U) presents Telkom University Scholarship Program for all of you who wants to challenge themselves to experience wonderful learning in Indonesia.
Tel-U is a leading university focusing on ICT and business that is located in Bandung, the capital city of West Java Province, Indonesia. Telkom University provides several degree programs covering engineering and business management. We are under the shelter of Telkom Group, the biggest telecommunication company in Indonesia, with its network of cooperation and internal synergy which has subsidiaries and branch offices throughout Indonesia, technological facilities, human resources and schools. Telkom University gives opportunities for students, researchers, staff, and even alumni to do research, internships and any other academic related program at Telkom Group.
Students from all over the world are eligible for the Telkom University Scholarship Program.
7. Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarship (IACS)
The Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarship (IACS) has been conducted since 2003 and was initially offered to and participated by member countries of the South West Pacific Dialogue (SwPD); Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, and the host Indonesia.
Bearing in mind the significance and advantages obtained from the program, the scholarship was expanded over the years to include member countries of ASEAN, ASEAN+3, PIF countries, as well as many countries from all regions in the world. In the period of 2003 to 2019, the scholarship has been awarded to 920 alumni from 77 countries.
In order to deepen the awardees’ understanding of Indonesian arts and culture, and to enhance their skills for the final performance, awardees will be divided and assigned by the organising committee to different arts centers for the duration of approximately 3 (three) months. The arts centers are located in 6 (six) provinces, namely: Bali; West Sumatera; East Kalimantan; East Java; South Sulawesi and Yogyakarta.
Awardees will live within or around the arts center, allowing for the chance to experience the local heritage and interact with the local community. Synergy between theory and practices shared inside and outside the arts center would undoubtedly become the driving force for shaping international cultures and norms, and will eventually strengthen regional as well as global understanding and cooperation at a people-to-people level.
