Indonesia's Prabowo Keen to Send More Medical, Dental Students to New Zealand

October 31, 2025 | 07:34 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto met New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon at the Agenas Room, Lahan Select Gyeongju Hotel, on Friday, October 31, 2025. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2025 conference in Gyeongju, South Korea.

The president aims to send more students to study medicine and dentistry in New Zealand, citing Indonesia's need for doctors and dentists. "We want to send more students to study medicine and dentistry. We are in great need of doctors and dentists," he said after the meeting in an official statement from the Presidential Secretariat.

Prabowo also requested that New Zealand send teachers to Indonesia, as he plans to expand English courses to prepare prospective Indonesian migrant workers. 

"I request for teachers in New Zealand who can assist us to expand English courses for our workers who seek to go overseas," Prabowo said.

During the meeting, the two leaders also emphasized the importance of expanding market access and promoting a bolstered trade value, which reached US$1.91 billion in 2024.

Furthermore, Prabowo mentioned both parties' commitment to bolster cooperation, as for the past half a decade, bilateral trade between Indonesia and New Zealand saw a consistent 10 percent hike each year.

"But I believe we can strive for even better," Prabowo said when meeting Luxon.

During the same occasion, New Zealand PM Luxon reaffirmed the commitment to strengthening trade ties between the two countries, while also recognizing Indonesia's support to bolster ASEAN and New Zealand partnerships, among others.

"With the ASEAN CSP, RCEP, and the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) upgrades, we've got good mechanisms for us to do exactly what you and I talked about in Peru last year, which is how to accelerate the trade relations between our two countries," Luxon said.

Prabowo Subianto attended the APEC Summit 2025 in Gyeongju, on Friday, October 31, after landing in South Korea the previous day.

Prabowo Subianto had previously planned to open 30 medical faculties at several universities, but has yet to disclose the details. He also aimed to launch 148 new study programs in 57 medical faculties this year, including 125 specialist programs and 23 subspecialist programs.

Prabowo's ambition comes against the backdrop of what he referred to as a shortage of doctors in Indonesia. The country, he said, lacks 70,000 specialists and 140,000 general practitioners. "If not addressed promptly, we may have to wait for 35 years," Prabowo said in August.

Prabowo said the universities only produce 12,000 general practitioners and 2,700 specialists each year, a number deemed insufficient to fill the doctor shortage. Prabowo urged ministers to take swift measures and innovate to expedite Indonesia's development. "We can't be business as usual to pursue welfare for Indonesia, it can't be," he said.

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