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Indonesia, US expand Fulbright program to students under religious ministry
The Religious Affairs Ministry and the United States have agreed to expand access to the US’s Fulbright scholarship program for Indonesian institutions and individuals under the ministry, in an attempt to increase cultural exchanges and improve education quality in the country.
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Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar (right) and the US Ambassador to Indonesia Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU) to expand access to the Fulbright scholarship program on Jan. 8, 2025. (US Embassy Jakarta/Rifky Suryadinata)
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he Religious Affairs Ministry and the United States have agreed to expand access to the US’ Fulbright scholarship program for institutions and individuals under the auspices of the ministry, in an attempt to increase cultural exchanges and improve education quality in the country.
Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar and US Ambassador to Indonesia Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Wednesday, promising to give opportunities for students at secondary and tertiary education institutions under the ministry, such as madrasahs and pesantren (Islamic boarding schools).
Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar said the opportunity also extended to lecturers and researchers, especially religiously affiliated scholars with a particular research topic they want to pursue.
“The kyai [clerics] from pesantren can even get the opportunity to conduct comparative studies to see their [Muslim] peers in the US,” said Nasaruddin at the Religious Affairs Ministry’s office in Banteng Park, Central Jakarta.
In turn, the ministry also aims through the agreement to have US teachers come with the scholarship to teach at madrasahs and pesantren in Indonesia to improve the students’ English skills.
“We need many native [English] speakers in our pesantren,” the minister added, highlighting the importance of English in the country’s educational system.
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