JAKARTA – The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, through the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek), has launched the Garuda Scholarship program aimed at equipping Indonesia’s young generation with global competitiveness in the fields of research and academia. The launch, held in Jakarta in early April 2025, drew significant attention, especially from students and academic circles.
The Garuda Scholarship—an acronym for Gerakan Akselerasi Riset dan Unggul Dalam Akademik (Accelerated Research and Academic Excellence Movement)—targets 12th-grade students who have been accepted into undergraduate programs at Top 100 world-ranked foreign universities. The program offers full tuition coverage and living allowances, funded by the national education endowment managed by LPDP.
Deputy Minister of Kemendiktisaintek, Stella Christie, described the Garuda Scholarship as a tangible implementation of Asta Cita point number 4, which emphasizes the development of excellent human resources in strategic sectors.
“The greater the investment in research and development, the greater the contribution to national progress,” said Stella Christie.
She stressed the importance of patents originating from domestic talent. In many cases, patents registered in Indonesia still involve foreign collaboration. According to her, the Garuda Scholarship aims to foster more independent scientific discoveries that are aligned with national priorities.
Samsuri, Secretary of the Directorate General of Science and Technology, added that the program is not only designed to select scholarship recipients but also to map out the potential of young talents as future scientists.
“The Garuda Scholarship is not just about earning a diploma; it’s about preparing researchers with strong pedagogical skills and industry recognition,” Samsuri emphasized.
He underlined the essential role of the younger generation in distributing research outcomes for national development.
Meanwhile, Director General of Science and Technology, Ahmad Najib Burhani, highlighted the inclusiveness of the program, which is also open to students from Madrasah Aliyah (Islamic senior high schools).
“Few scholarship programs provide this level of access. Recipients are expected to transfer knowledge from developed countries back to Indonesia,” concluded Ahmad Najib Burhani.
The Garuda Scholarship selection process runs until April 23, 2025, via the official website beasiswagaruda.kemdiktisaintek.go.id. The Letter of Acceptance (LoA) submission will be conducted in two phases, with tentative schedules based on applicants’ data readiness.
This strategic initiative marks Kemendiktisaintek’s commitment to strengthening the national innovation ecosystem. The Garuda Scholarship is not only a bridge for young Indonesians to pursue world-class education but also a cornerstone in establishing Indonesia as a research excellence hub in Southeast Asia.
