The Director of International Policy at the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), accompanied by team members, conducted an official visit to Indonesia that included courtesy calls with key Indonesian institutions. The delegation met with representatives from the Indonesian Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Kemdikitisaintek) and the National Research & Innovation Agency (BRIN) to discuss future collaboration opportunities.

WINNER 2025: A Week of Academic Exchange

The centerpiece of the visit was the Week of Indonesia-Netherlands Education and Research (WINNER), an annual event that promotes sustainable connections between students, researchers, and institutions in both countries.

The Director of International Policy officially opened WINNER alongside the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Kemdikitisaintek Director General of Research and Development, and the BRIN Executive Secretary. The visit concluded with a tour of one of the collaborative projects between the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and Kemdiktisaintek at IPB University, showcasing tangible results of the bilateral partnership.

The closing ceremony of WINNER 2025 took place at the Erasmus Huis in Jakarta, featuring remarks from Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. David van Weel and Indonesian Vice Minister of Kemdiktisaintek, Professor Stella Christie. Both officials emphasized the importance of academic collaboration in addressing shared global challenges.

Dutch Universities Expand Indonesian Partnerships

During the week's events, the Education and Science Counsellor at the Kingdom of the Netherlands facilitated meetings for several Dutch higher education institutions seeking to deepen their engagement with Indonesian partners.

Participating institutions included Wageningen University & Research, University of Twente, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, mboRijnland, and Leiden University Medical Center.

These meetings focused on expanding cooperation in higher education, scientific research, and innovation, with an emphasis on knowledge exchange, sustainability, and preparing the next generation of leaders in both countries.

The series of events and meetings underscored the commitment of both nations to investing in education, research, and innovation as pillars of their long-term partnership.