Prabowo Increases University Research Budget by 4 Trillion

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - State Secretary, Prasetyo Hadi conveyed the Government's commitment to strengthen the national research ecosystem by adding a budget of 4 trillion rupiah. This step was taken to catch up on the lag in the mastery of science and technology (S&T) in the university environment.

The decision was made by President Prabowo Subianto after holding a briefing meeting with rectors and professors in Jakarta, Friday, 16 January 2026. This strategic meeting discussed the nation's challenges and the role of academics as key to Indonesia's future resurgence.

"President immediately decided to provide an additional budget of Rp4 trillion, with the hope that it can strengthen research at all universities, including collaborating with BRIN," Prasetyo Hadi said to the media.

Prasetyo explained that this addition is crucial considering the previous research funds for universities were only 8 trillion rupiah or 0.34 percent of the state budget. This research will later be prioritized to support the food and energy self-sufficiency programs, as well as the acceleration of national industrialization.

In addition to research, the government will also restructure the allocation of higher education scholarships with the main focus on producing excellent human resources. The President directed that the number of scholarship recipients be increased and the formulation recalculated for greater effectiveness.