Tents, Discipline, and the Military: Inside LPDP’s New Orientation Approach

The Indonesian state scholarship agency, LPDP, has confirmed that the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) will be involved in part of its annual pre-departure briefing for scholarship recipients. This briefing is a mandatory program for students preparing to study both domestically and abroad.

M. Lukmanul Hakim, head of LPDP’s Legal and Communications Division, said that military personnel will assist with outdoor activities as part of the orientation program.

He noted that such outdoor activities have been included in previous batches. Speaking on Saturday, May 2, 2026, Lukman said this is not a new element in LPDP’s briefing program.

According to him, the outdoor sessions are designed to encourage teamwork among participants. The briefing also covers topics such as character building, national values, discipline, mental readiness, and ethical standards for state scholarship recipients.

Lukman emphasized that the program is not equivalent to military training, even though it takes place in a military setting and involves TNI personnel.

According to an official event letter obtained by Tempo, the briefing is scheduled to take place from May 4 to May 9, 2026, at the Marsekal Sukardi Building at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta. Several sessions will be conducted by TNI personnel.

A total of 206 participants are expected to join, including master’s and doctoral scholarship recipients studying both domestically and abroad. Completion of the program is mandatory before participants begin their studies.

The document states that the briefing aims to help participants develop a stronger mindset, become more independent, embrace national values and pride, and fully understand and adopt LPDP’s values and culture.

However, the policy has drawn criticism from several scholarship recipients. One participant, who requested anonymity, questioned the military’s role in the program.

The participant said they were informed that the program would include tent camping and restrictions on mobile phone use.

“I was told that we would be staying in tents and could only use our mobile phones for one hour each day,” the participant said. “Almost everyone is wondering — what’s the purpose?”

The participant added that many awardees had raised concerns with LPDP but were told that the rules could not be changed.

“At first, we were told that mobile phones would not be allowed at all. After discussions, it was adjusted to one hour per day. In short, they said this is already a management decision,” the participant said.

Source : https://en.tempo.co/read/2101482/lpdp-involves-military-in-scholarship-awardee-orientation?tracking_page_direct