BUDI (Beasiswa Unggulan Dosen Indonesia) Scholarship / Indonesia BUDI Scholarship Programme

Indonesia BUDI Scholarship Programme

You will receive a full scholarship scholarship to undertake a PhD abroad, for example at the University of Manchester in the UK. It covers your tuition fees, a monthly living allowance, return travel, health insurance, grants for books and research, costs for publication in academic journals, a family allowance, and a grant towards visa fees and settling-in costs. The funding runs for 3 years, with a possible extension of up to 2 semesters, i.e. a maximum of 48 months. The Indonesian government funds the programme through the LPDP (Indonesian Education Foundation) in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education. The aim is to improve the qualifications of university teaching staff.

Who can apply

• Job: You are a permanent lecturer (dosen tetap) at a state or private higher education institution in Indonesia and hold a national lecturer ID (NIDN or NIDK).
• Nationality: You are an Indonesian citizen.
• Degree so far: You have obtained a Master’s degree from an accredited university.
• Level: This funding applies exclusively to full-time doctoral study as part of a standard degree programme. Executive programmes, distance-learning programmes and weekend courses are not eligible.
• Field of study: Open to all subjects.
• Not already started: You are not currently enrolled on a PhD programme and have not yet completed one.
• Age: On 31 December of the year in which you are applying, you are 47 years old or younger.
• Admission: You have an unconditional offer from a university on the list approved by the LPDP. If you wish to study in the UK, this means that around 39 universities are eligible.
• English: You meet the language requirements, for example IELTS 6.5 (or IELTS 6.0, although for Manchester no individual component may be below 5.5).

How to apply

Applications are made online via the LPDP scholarship portal. You will need to upload your Master’s degree certificate, your official letter of admission, your university’s approval and a research proposal. There are usually several application rounds each year. The selection process consists of several stages: an assessment of your documents, a computer-based test including an essay, and two rounds of interviews with an LPDP panel.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding scheme is very narrowly defined: only Indonesian citizens who are already employed as permanent lecturers and hold a national lecturer ID are eligible to apply, meaning that the pool of eligible candidates is small. If you fit this profile, already have an unconditional offer from a recognised university and meet the English language requirements, your chances are good. The multi-stage selection process, which includes two interviews, favours a clear research proposal; you should therefore prepare this thoroughly and apply early in the application round.