25-05-2025
Indonesian Education Expo 2025 showcases opportunities for Qatari international students
Ashraf Siddiqui
Doha
Following the success of the inaugural event a year ago, the second edition of the Indonesian Education Expo 2025 Qatar was held on May 23 and 24, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel Westbay.
This event aimed to provide the broader community in Qatar with comprehensive information on the advancements of higher education in Indonesia, highlighting how these opportunities can address the needs of individuals facing global challenges.
Addressing a press conference at the venue, Indonesian Ambassador to Qatar HE Ridwan Hassan said this year's expo featured an even broader array of higher education opportunities, including undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programmes, exclusive scholarship offerings to empower Indonesia's next generation of global leaders, and insights on how to secure scholarships.
The two-day event was open to individuals aged 16 and above and catered to a diverse audience, including students, parents, educational counsellors, school administrators, career advisors, and professionals seeking further academic development.
The universities represented included Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Universitas Padjadjaran, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Universitas Bina Nusantara (BINUS), Universitas Sampoerna, Swiss-German University (SGU), and the LSPR Institute of Communication and Business.
Currently, more than 2,000 Indonesian students reside in Qatar, many of whom are preparing for higher education.
This event offered them detailed information on a variety of education programmes and options for continuing their studies.
Ivan Rismi Polontalo, coordinator of Information, Social and Cultural Affairs at the Indonesian Embassy in Qatar, said the embassy's initiatives are supported by collaboration with the Indonesian community in Qatar and by the government and people of Qatar.
Ambassador Ridwan Hassan encouraged the international community in Qatar to explore these Indonesian higher education opportunities, which are internationally competitive.
He also affirmed the embassy's commitment to fostering access to information and opportunities across various fields, including education, for the wider community in Qatar.
Talking to Qatar Tribune, Andy Hadiyanto, vice-rector for Cooperation and Business at Universitas Negeri Jakarta (UNJ), said the university aimed to build partnerships with Qatari institutions and government agencies like the Ministry of Waqf.
UNJ, a public university in East Jakarta with eight faculties and around 50,000 students, plans to expand to a 70-90 hectare new campus. While it currently hosts 100 international students from countries including China and Palestine, it hopes to attract Qatari students due to the high cost of education in Qatar. UNJ will offer 5–10 direct scholarships this year, targeting Gulf-region students.
Dr. Achmad Syarief, representing Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), told Qatar Tribune that the university's participation in the expo aimed to share information about Indonesian higher education with the Indonesian diaspora, other expatriates in Qatar, and Qatari citizens.
He added that ITB, as a science and engineering institute, has around 32,000 students and 2,800 staff members. The university currently hosts about 1,000 international students from Africa, Palestine, and Southeast Asia, and aims to increase these numbers.
Dr. Syarief noted that ITB offers partial scholarships to international students, which could be appealing to many in Qatar, where 90 percent of the population are foreigners, with a significant portion from Southeast Asia and South Asia.
