Good Kabasr! Al Azhar University Egypt Adds Scholarship Quota For Indonesian Students

Minister of Foreign Affairs (Menlu) Retno Marsudi when delivering a statement regarding the honorary visit of Grand Sheikh Al Azhar Ahmed Al Tayeb at the Jakarta Presidential Palace Complex, Tuesday (9/7/2024). (ANTARA/Andi Firdaus)

JAKARTA - Minister of Foreign Affairs (Menlu) Retno Marsudi said Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, increased the scholarship quota for students in Indonesia this year. The news became one of the topics of dialogue between President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Grand Syekh of Al-Azhar University as-Syarif Egypt, Ahmad Muhammad Ahmed Al Tayeb at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday. "He said, for 2024 it means this year, Al Azhar will increase the number of scholarships that will be given to Indonesian students," said Retno Marsudi at the Jakarta Presidential Palace Complex, quoted from Antara, Tuesday, July 9. Al Azhar University of Egypt has so far accommodated around 13 thousand students from Indonesia. A total of 200 students were scholarship recipients last year. "Grand Syekh when mentioning the figure of 13 thousand Indonesian students, is a very large percentage compared to the total students studying at Al Azhar," he said. President Jokowi in his dialogue with Ahmed Al Tayeb said that Egypt had long been the goal of Indonesian student studies. 95 percent of Indonesian citizens living in Egypt are Indonesian students, said Retno. "Grand Syekh got more than 13 thousand Indonesian students and he never received complaints from Indonesian students. That means, he said the character of Indonesian students is good," said Retno.

"As a reciprocity of RI-Egyptical relations, President Jokowi expressed his commitment to encourage the formation of Markaz Tathwir or a development center for the Al Azhar branch in Indonesia," added Retno.