The strategic economic and soft-power value of Indonesia–China educational cooperation

This article examines Indonesia–China educational cooperation from a host-centered soft-power perspective and explains how education diplomacy may generate strategic benefits for Indonesia. It develops an integrated framework linking student mobility, language programs, dual and joint degrees, research collaboration, and alumni networks to economic performance, innovation capacity, and international reputation. Using a qualitative single-case design grounded in constructivism, the study draws on in-depth interviews, field observations, and document analysis. The findings highlight recurring themes concerning reciprocity, mobility imbalance, institutional cooperation, and the strategic role of education in diplomacy, economic exchange, and long-term people-to-people relations. Illustrative comparisons with Malaysia, Thailand, and Turkey identify Indonesia’s distinctive strengths, particularly its Islamic education ecosystem and Bahasa Indonesia programs, while also revealing supply-side constraints on reciprocity. The article proposes five host-driven policy measures: inbound scholarships funded by Indonesia, internationalized academic tracks supported by a BIPA-Bridge, industry-embedded dual and joint degrees, one-stop international student offices, and alumni-led recruitment pipelines. These measures shift attention from partner-driven narratives to host-country policy design and provide a qualitative, policy-oriented framework for strengthening bilateral educational cooperation and generating strategic value for Indonesia.