RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia and Austria are expanding cooperation in higher education and research development. The initiative was highlighted during a meeting between the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology and the Austrian Embassy to Indonesia on Thursday, April 16, 2026.

According to a press release issued by the ministry, both sides discussed enhancing ongoing collaborations, including student and faculty exchanges, scholarship programs, and university-to-university (U2U) partnerships.

Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Brian Yuliarto, underscored the important role of universities in supporting national priority agendas, particularly in advancing downstream industries, industrialization, and strategic sectors such as sustainable energy.

“We have priority programs based on the direction of President Prabowo Subianto. These can be implemented through university programs, not only for science, but also in how academic research can influence industry,” he said.

Both parties also explored opportunities for joint projects in energy transition, including the development of battery technology, semiconductors, and energy conversion systems. In addition, improving the quality of vocational education and strengthening research aligned with industry needs were identified as key areas of cooperation.

On the same occasion, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of Austria to Indonesia, Michael Wislocki, expressed appreciation for the long-standing partnership. “Cooperation in higher education with Indonesia has been ongoing since 1991. We highly value and are satisfied with the current collaboration, and we aim to take it further with Indonesia,” he said.

As a follow-up, both sides are exploring more integrated collaboration schemes, including large-scale joint projects that combine education, research, and government-to-government financing.

Through this partnership, Indonesia hopes that international cooperation will contribute significantly to strengthening higher education and advancing an innovation-driven economy.