Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto welcomed an offer from Egypt to provide additional scholarships for Indonesian students, with a specific focus on medicine, engineering, and the sciences. The agreement emerged during a presidential meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Sunday, October 11, 2026.
During a joint press statement, President Prabowo emphasized the deep cultural and educational ties linking the two nations. He noted that Indonesia already sends a substantial contingent of students to pursue higher education in Egypt, anchoring institutional cooperation that spans decades.
“Strengthening relations between countries also needs to be supported by increasingly close people-to-people relations. In education, we all know that the number of our students is very large studying in Egypt,” Prabowo said.
Expanding Educational and Cultural Partnership
The discussions between Prabowo and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi highlighted ongoing academic integration, including developments at Al-Azhar University. Prabowo pointed out that Al-Azhar now incorporates Indonesian language and literature into its curriculum, serving as tangible proof of expanding bilateral collaboration.
Beyond increasing student placement, Indonesia proposed bringing Egyptian educational institutions, instructors, and teaching staff directly to the archipelago. Prabowo outlined plans to broaden academic ties through reciprocal student exchanges, institutional partnerships among universities, and collaborative research initiatives.
“We thank and appreciate Egypt’s offer to provide additional scholarships, especially in the fields of medicine, engineering, and science,” Prabowo stated.
Egyptian Commitment to Indonesian Students
In response, President El-Sisi affirmed that Egypt remains fully open to welcoming thousands of Indonesian scholars across its higher education network. El-Sisi stressed that cultural and educational exchanges form the bedrock of an enduring friendship.
“Egypt is always ready to welcome thousands of Indonesian students to study at Al-Azhar and other universities in Egypt,” El-Sisi remarked, emphasizing his administration’s dedication to acting as a bridge for mutual understanding.
This educational expansion builds upon a broader strategic partnership framework established in April 2025. Alongside academic commitments, the state visit yielded bilateral agreements spanning fisheries, marine affairs, statistics, investment, defense industries, and broader economic trade.
