As global education systems race to cultivate high-impact, future-ready talent, one Indonesian university is taking bold steps to lead that charge.

On a Friday evening at Grand Keisha Hotel in Yogyakarta (June 27, 2025), the Applied Psychology Center (APC) of UIN Sunan Kalijaga gathered leading academic and government figures for a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) to refine preparations for the upcoming Scholastic and Psychological Aptitude Tests—an essential component of the prestigious Beasiswa Indonesia Bangkit (BIB) 2025 scholarship program.

More than just a technical meeting, the event marked a milestone in Indonesia’s push to elevate its human capital. The discussion brought together influential policymakers including Prof. Sahiron, Director of Islamic Higher Education (Diktis) at the Ministry of Religious Affairs; Dr. Ruchman Basori, Head of the National Center for Education Financing and Scholarship Management (PUSPENMA); and UIN Sunan Kalijaga’s top leadership—underscoring the university’s central role in shaping the nation’s intellectual vanguard.

“UIN Sunan Kalijaga’s Applied Psychology Center is more than ready,” said Dr. Abdur Rozaki, Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Cooperation. “We bring decades of expertise in administering scholastic and psychological assessments—professional, credible, and fully transparent.”

Strategic Shift in Human Resource Development

Prof. Sahiron, representing the Ministry of Religious Affairs, used the moment to outline a strategic overhaul of human resource development in Indonesia’s higher education landscape.
“We’re prioritizing the development of superior human resources,” he stated. “Faculty, students, and staff must all be upgraded—not just in academics, but in career mobility and global readiness.”

He announced plans to internationalize Indonesian faculty through visiting professorships, global research collaborations, and training in academic writing and foreign languages, including programs with research centers in the Netherlands. Students, meanwhile, are being equipped with real-world skills through the Ministry’s newly launched Magang Prima PTKI internship program, already involving over 100 companies and 120 Islamic universities, with more than 1,000 students enrolled.

“We want our students to be immediately employable after graduation,” said Sahiron, “combining academic rigor with industry-based skills.”

An Ambitious Scholarship Infrastructure

Dr. Ruchman Basori, head of PUSPENMA, explained the evolution of the scholarship ecosystem—highlighting the 2024 launch of PUSPENMA as a strategic shift from ad hoc management to systematic, sustainable funding. The agency now oversees flagship programs like the KIP Kuliah, Collaborative Research Grants, and the BIB scholarship itself.

The Beasiswa Indonesia Bangkit (BIB) program stands out for its comprehensive reach:

·         Regular Scholarships for undergraduate to doctoral levels (domestic and overseas, except undergraduate abroad)

·         Achievement-Based Scholarships including Quran memorization

·         Double-Degree Master's Programs with global institutions such as Edinburgh University and SOAS University of London

·         Distance Learning Scholarships for Islamic Education (PAI) and Arabic Language (PBA)

·         Santri Scholarships for outstanding Islamic boarding school students

UIN Sunan Kalijaga has emerged as one of the program’s prime destinations.
“The university’s institutional excellence and program quality are unmatched,” Ruchman emphasized.

He also outlined the ideal profile of a BIB awardee: academically outstanding, resilient, adaptable, ethically grounded, and deeply committed to national values and interfaith moderation.

The night concluded with a dynamic discussion session, as stakeholders reaffirmed their shared commitment: ensuring a testing process that is fair, rigorous, and capable of selecting the next generation of Indonesia’s transformative leaders. (humassk)