Indonesian Lecturers Prepare for Their PhD to the Netherlands
Enhancing the quality of human resources in higher education institutions is a top priority for the Indonesia’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (MoHEST).
According to 2024 higher education statistics, out of 248,793 lecturers in universities under MoHEST, 178,043 lecturers (71.6%) hold a master's degree, while only 62,475 lecturers (25.1%) who have attained a doctoral degree. Consequently, MoHEST is actively encouraging lecturers to upgrade their academic qualifications to the doctoral level.
Applying for overseas PhD comes with its own set of challenges. Strict academic requirements, high standards for research proposals, and the need for comprehensive administrative documentation often act as hurdles for lecturers. Furthermore, a lack of information regarding doctoral education systems at overseas universities and effective application strategies makes it difficult for many prospective PhD candidates to prepare adequately.
Given to this condition, the Office of Leiden University in Indonesia, in collaboration with the Directorate of Research and Talent Development of MoHEST, initiated a mentorship workshop for Indonesian lecturers who aim to pursue their PhD in the Netherlands in Bandung from 8-10 September 2026.
Twenty-five lecturers from public and private universities across Java and other regions of Indonesia participated in the workshop. Fifteen participants plan to pursue their PhD studies at Leiden University. Their intended fields of study include humanities, psychology, linguistics, history, governance and global affairs, law, and science.
Maria Sherwood-Smith, Academic English Lecturer at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences of Leiden University, contributed to two components: Academic English Writing and Academic English Presentation. ‘The writing component aimed to raise participants’ awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses and to point them to strategies and resources to help them continue to improve. In the presenting component, the participants focused on presenting to a multidisciplinary audience, giving a presentation to their peers and providing constructive feedback,’ Sherwood-Smith said. ’It was extremely rewarding to work with such motivated participants, whose concentration and engagement were impressive. I admired the participants’ versatility and ability to focus on presentations within their own group whilst another group was presenting in the same room. And I was struck by the quality of their feedback to each other. This group really stood out for their didactic skills.'
The PhD Mentorship Workshop also equipped the participants with strategies for securing PhD scholarships and provided insights into living and conducting research in the Netherlands. The sessions were facilitated by Afriansyah (Ar-Raniry State Islamic University), Ivonne Martin (Gadjah Mada University), Irlan Adiyatama Rum and Viktor Pirmana (Universitas Padjadjaran), who are all alumni of Leiden University.