Indonesia, Melbourne Explore Global Education Pathways for Madrasah Students

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia is seeking to expand international education opportunities for madrasah (Islamic school) students through cooperation with the University of Melbourne, Australia, including the development of the Madrasah Goes Abroad program and potential student exchanges, scholarships and joint research.

The discussion took place when a University of Melbourne delegation visited the Ministry of Religious Affairs on Thursday, August 20, 2026. The meeting followed the ministry's visit to Australia, including to the university, which is ranked among the world's leading higher education institutions.

The Madrasah Goes Abroad program is one of the entry points for the cooperation. The program is designed to help madrasah students go beyond English-language skills and learn how to apply to overseas universities.

Participants receive guidance on identifying prospective universities, understanding admission procedures, writing essays and obtaining a Letter of Acceptance (LoA). As a result, overseas exposure is not merely an academic visit but part of preparations for further study.

In 2026, the ministry expanded the program's target group. Participants are no longer limited to students from Insan Cendekia Islamic State High School (MAN IC), but also include students from several other leading madrasahs.

The program is provided free of charge to participants. Mentoring and coaching are conducted by a team from Raden Fatah State Islamic University Palembang (UIN Raden Fatah Palembang).

In Melbourne, the opportunities offered cover several fields. The University of Melbourne is open to potential study opportunities in Islamic Studies, Arts, and Engineering and Information Technology. The university has nine faculties and more than 70,000 students, around 45 percent of whom are international students.

The cooperation is also being directed toward higher education. The two sides discussed student exchange programs, master's and doctoral scholarships, and joint research.

However, one issue needs to be clarified before the cooperation can be expanded: the number of prospective students who will be directed to the University of Melbourne.

The number of prospective students is one of the factors the university will consider in determining the form of support and scholarship schemes. This means the cooperation is not only about exchanging programs, but also about creating a clear pathway from madrasahs to higher education in Australia.

Director of Madrasah Curriculum, Facilities, Institutions and Student Affairs (KSKK Madrasah) Nyayu Khadijah said the cooperation is expected to go beyond Madrasah Goes Abroad. The ministry wants its relationship with the University of Melbourne to expand into various areas of education.

"This cooperation is not limited to the Madrasah Goes Abroad program, but can open up more opportunities for collaboration," Nyayu said on Thursday, August 20, as quoted on the Religious Affairs Ministry official website.

The ministry hopes the preparation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two institutions will be followed up soon. The MoU is expected to broaden and sustain the scope of cooperation.

Support has also come from the Australian Embassy in Indonesia. Australian representatives expressed their readiness to help promote study opportunities in Australia to madrasah students.

For the ministry, the cooperation is not merely about giving students opportunities to study abroad. It reflects a broader ambition to connect madrasahs with the global education network and give their students more options when determining their academic futures.

Madrasahs, therefore, are no longer viewed solely as an education pathway oriented toward the domestic environment. Through programs such as Madrasah Goes Abroad, students are being prepared to seek opportunities at universities around the world, including the University of Melbourne. ***