The Kemitraan Negara Berkembang (KNB) Scholarship is Indonesia's flagship soft-power program. It aims to bring students from developing countries to experience Indonesian culture while studying at top public universities like UGM, ITB, and UI. Crucially, almost all KNB scholars must undergo a mandatory one-year Indonesian language (BIPA) program before starting their actual degrees.
Quick Overview
Full Requirements & Details
Academic Requirements
- Min. CGPA
- 3.0
- Offer Degrees
- Bachelors, Masters, PhD
- Subjects
- Arts, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics
- Seats Available
- Approx. 200 annually
- Study Gap Allowed
- No Restrictions (Gap Allowed)
- Research Publication
- Optional
- Work Experience
- No
- Age Range
- No Min - 35
Language Requirements
- IELTS
- Optional
- TOEFL
- Min. 80.0
- GRE
- Not Required
- Local Language
- Indonesian
- Local Lang Test
- No
- Study Languages
- Indonesian
Financial Details
- Type
- Full
- Fund Details
- See Description
- Monthly Stipend
- IDR 2750000/mo
- Tuition
- Full
- Living Costs
- Full
- Travel & Health
- Yes / Yes
- Application Fee
- Free (No Application Fee)
- Spouse Allowed
- No
What Matters Most
Required Documents
Why You Should Apply
It is an incredibly immersive, fully funded experience. You receive round-trip airfare, full tuition coverage, a settlement allowance, health insurance, and a monthly living allowance. While the living allowance (around IDR 2,750,000 for master's students) sounds small when converted to USD, the cost of living in Indonesian college towns like Yogyakarta or Bandung is phenomenally low.
You will live very comfortably.
Application Process
You must secure an official recommendation letter from the Indonesian Embassy or Consulate in your home country. Once you have that critical document, you apply through the central KNB online portal, uploading your transcripts, English scores, and a strong motivation letter.
How to Win This Scholarship
The Indonesian Embassy recommendation is the hardest hurdle. You must build a relationship with the embassy staff; showing a genuine, prior interest in Indonesian culture, arts (like Batik or Gamelan), or ASEAN politics will make them enthusiastic about endorsing you. Furthermore, you must be mentally prepared to spend your first year studying nothing but the Indonesian language.
Your motivation letter must reflect a deep desire to learn Bahasa Indonesia and integrate into local society.
Benefits After Completing Study
Fluency in Bahasa Indonesia opens massive business and diplomatic doors across Southeast Asia, as it is mutually intelligible with Malay.
If you fail the mandatory Indonesian language exams after your first year, your scholarship will be terminated and you will be sent home before your master's degree even begins.
Official Source
For complete details and to verify all requirements, please refer to the scholarship provider's official website.
Visit Official Source