LPDP Involves Military in Scholarship Awardee Orientation

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia’s state scholarship agency LPDP has confirmed that the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) will be involved in parts of its annual pre-departure briefing for scholarship recipients, a mandatory programme for students preparing to study at home and abroad.

M. Lukmanul Hakim, head of LPDP’s Legal and Communications Division, said military personnel would assist in outdoor activities as part of the orientation program for awardees.

“The outdoor activities have been programmed and carried out in previous batches. It is not something new in the implementation of LPDP scholarship briefing activities,” Lukman said on Saturday, May 2, 2026.

He said the outdoor sessions are designed to build teamwork among participants. Other materials in the briefing include character development, national values, discipline, mental preparedness, and ethics as recipients of a state scholarship.

Lukman emphasized that the program is not equivalent to military training, even though it is conducted in a military environment and involves TNI personnel.

Based on an official event letter obtained by Tempo, the briefing will be held from May 4 to 9, 2026, at the Marsekal Sukardi Building, Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta. Several sessions will be delivered by TNI personnel.

A total of 206 participants are scheduled to take part, consisting of master’s and doctoral scholarship recipients for both domestic and overseas study. The program is mandatory before participants begin their studies.

The document states that the briefing aims to strengthen participants’ mindset, independence, national values, nationalism, as well as internalizing LPDP’s values and culture.

However, the policy has drawn criticism from several scholarship recipients. One participant, who requested anonymity, questioned the involvement of the military in delivering parts of the program.

The participant said they were informed the program would include tent camping, and that mobile phone use would be limited to one hour per day.

“I was informed that we will be camping in tents, and we are not allowed to use mobile phones during the event. We can only use mobile phones for one hour per day. Almost everyone is questioning it — what is the purpose?” the participant said.

They added that several recipients had raised objections to LPDP, but were told the rules were final.

“Before negotiation, we were even told mobile phones were not allowed at all. After negotiation, it became one hour per day. In essence, they said this is already a management decision,” the participant said.

Read: Jakarta Police Accuse 32 Civil Groups of Planning May Day Unrest

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