At the WEF Davos, Prabowo Talks about the Plan to Develop 10 New Universities

President Prabowo Subianto delivered a speech at the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) at the Congress Hall, Davos, Switzerland, Thursday (22/1/2026). ANTARA FOTO/Aria Cindyara/bay/tom.

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto stated that the government plans to build 10 new universities as part of efforts to improve the quality of national higher education, in his speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026, Davos, Switzerland, Thursday local time.

Prabowo said that to realize this development, the government is exploring cooperation with a number of leading universities in Europe, the United Kingdom, and North America.

"I have also built 10 new universities and am currently discussing and negotiating with the best universities in Europe, the UK, and North America to carry out twinning and produce internationally standard universities in the country," said Prabowo.

In addition to the development of higher education, the President also targets the improvement of basic and secondary education infrastructure.

This year, he said, the government plans to modernize and renovate around 60,000 schools and build 1,000 comprehensive integrated schools equipped with modern facilities and laboratories.

Prabowo also explained that the government had also built hundreds of boarding schools that were specifically intended for people from the lowest economic strata.

Until now, more than 160 boarding schools have been established, with an overall target of reaching 500 boarding schools for children from very poor families.

The construction of the boarding school is intended to open equal access to education and break the chain of intergenerational poverty.

Children from poor farmer families, scavengers, street vendors to daily laborers are directed to obtain better educational opportunities so that they are not trapped in a pattern of poverty that is repeated.

"I am determined to break the circle. I am determined that children from the poorest must not remain poor. They must be given the same opportunity," said the President.

In addition to boarding schools for the poor, Prabowo said the government has also prepared 500 non-residential excellence centers to encourage the potential of high-achieving students.

"And that is why I have built 166 and will build a total of 500 of these boarding schools and another 500, not boarding schools, but centers of excellence to encourage other children to be more brilliant. In addition, I have also started 20 new boarding schools for academically talented children," said the President.