Eighteen Malawians are heading into Indonesia’s 2026 KNB Scholarship intake, putting Malawi level with Nigeria for the largest number of scholarship recipients worldwide.The result is being hailed as another sign that education is becoming one of the strongest links between Malawi and Indonesia.
The KNB—Kemitraan Negara Berkembang—programme is funded by the Indonesian Government and gives students from developing countries an opportunity to pursue higher education at participating Indonesian universities.
The achievement comes after sustained efforts to get more Malawian students interested in Indonesian universities and scholarship opportunities.
According to the Office of the Honorary Consul of Indonesia in Malawi, the campaign has included media publicity, social media engagement, distribution of scholarship information and direct contact with educational institutions.
Kidy said the significance of the 18 scholarships went beyond the number itself.
“This is about much more than sending students to university. It is about building a lasting relationship between Malawi and Indonesia. Education creates relationships that can endure for generations,” he said.
Kidy said Malawian students studying in Indonesia would return home with more than academic qualifications.
They would also gain exposure to Indonesian culture, establish professional networks and develop relationships that could eventually create opportunities in business, technology, education and other sectors.
“When these students return home, they bring with them knowledge, experience and relationships developed in Indonesia,” he said.
The scholarship programme has been running as part of Indonesia’s broader international cooperation with developing countries.
In Malawi, the educational drive is being presented as one component of a wider bilateral relationship encompassing trade and investment, health, cultural exchange and institutional cooperation.The two countries have also engaged in practical health cooperation.
In June 2025, Indonesian medical laboratory supplies valued at approximately K200 million were handed over in Malawi to support Mpox response and testing capacity.
Meanwhile, the latest KNB selection process included replacements after 24 candidates from previously announced batches withdrew. Indonesian authorities reallocated those vacancies to eligible applicants on the shortlist, resulting in 24 Batch IV replacements.
The replacement list comprised six bachelor’s students, 11 master’s students and seven doctoral candidates.
For Kidy, however, the larger story is what happens after graduation.
“In years to come, these students will be professionals, entrepreneurs, academics and leaders in their respective fields,” he said.“The relationships they establish today have the potential to develop into tomorrow’s partnerships between Malawi and Indonesia.”
