LPDP Says It Cannot Guarantee Employment for Scholarship Alumni

February 26, 2026 | 04:50 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The chief executive officer of Indonesia’s Education Fund Management Institute (LPDP), Sudarto, said the agency cannot guarantee employment for its scholarship alumni after they complete their studies.

“Can LPDP guarantee that alumni will secure employment upon their return? That is beyond LPDP,” Sudarto said at a press conference at the Ministry of Finance office on Wednesday night, February 25, 2026.

“That is why we talk about building an ecosystem. We coordinate with industry, including Danantara (Indonesian sovereign wealth fund), to ensure the ecosystem is established.”

He acknowledged that strengthening such an ecosystem, which connects education, industry, and research, will take time.

Internship and Entrepreneurship Scheme

Sudarto said LPDP is preparing an overseas internship and entrepreneurship scheme for alumni within two years after graduation, subject to LPDP approval and specific requirements.

By allowing graduates to gain professional experience abroad before returning to Indonesia, he hopes domestic industries will be better prepared to absorb them into the workforce.

“By providing this internship period, hopefully when they return, the industry will be ready. And hopefully LPDP can be part of building the ecosystem,” he said.

Sudarto added that LPDP is refining its long-term strategy to ensure its alumni contribute meaningfully to the labor market, emphasizing impact rather than merely funding education.

“We understand very well that becoming a superior human resource is not enough by attending the best university. What is more important is what happens after that,” he said.

In recent years, LPDP has sought to align its scholarship priorities with Indonesia’s industrial and research needs. Following consultations with industry stakeholders, the agency has redirected its funding between 2021 and 2026 toward more strategic fields.

Focus on Strategic Sectors

The priority sectors include STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), food and maritime industries, energy, health, defense, and digitalization (including artificial intelligence and semiconductors),  as well as downstream industries, manufacturing, advanced materials, entrepreneurship, and the creative economy.

In 2026, scholarships in STEM and related fields account for 80 percent of the total quota. Meanwhile, non-STEM programs, known as SHARE scholarships, which cover social sciences, humanities, arts and culture, religious studies, and economics, are capped at a maximum of 20 percent.

Read: Conditions Allow LPDP Scholarship Alumni to Stay Abroad Longer

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