KPT Strengthens Cooperation With Indonesia

PUTRAJAYA, July 13 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) remains committed to strengthening regional cooperation, especially with Indonesia, to make Malaysia a top destination for international students.

The ministry, in a statement today, said that among the areas of cooperation set to be strengthened with Indonesia include research collaboration and the mobility of lecturers and students in strategic fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), renewable energy technology and aerospace.

According to the statement, cooperation between Higher Education Institutions (IPT) in both countries will also be a key focus, building upon existing collaborations in the higher education sector.

This commitment was formalised following a two-day working visit by KPT Secretary-General Datuk Dr Anesee Ibrahim to Indonesia last Friday (July 11).

During the visit, he attended a series of programmes, meetings, and courtesy visits with his Indonesian counterparts, which successfully opened new avenues and opportunities for enhanced bilateral cooperation in higher education between Malaysia and Indonesia.

Indonesia remains one of the top countries sending students to pursue higher education in Malaysia, with 11,293 Indonesian students recorded as of March 2025. 

As of December 2024, there were 464 collaboration agreements established between Malaysian and Indonesian higher education institutions,  covering initiatives such as student and academic staff mobility for capacity-building programmes.

In addition, the Malaysia International Scholarship initiative continues to offer opportunities for Indonesian students to further their studies at Malaysian institutions of higher education, with 21 students benefitting from the programme as of December 2024.

“The Ministry of Higher Education is confident that efforts to promote Malaysia as a preferred destination for international students will further enhance the country’s image globally.

“The higher education internationalisation policy, which is aligned with current global trends and demands, will help strengthen Malaysia’s competitiveness on the world stage, in line with the core values of Malaysia MADANI, namely sustainability, prosperity, creativity and confidence,” read the statement.

-- BERNAMA