Through KRISAN Fellowship, Pijar Foundation Brings Five Indonesian Higher Education Leaders to Japan to Learn About Disability Services

KRISAN Fellows participated in a learning visit to Kyoto University, Japan, to explore inclusive education practices.

JAPAN — September 7, 2026 — Inclusive higher education in Indonesia was first introduced as a national policy priority by the Ministry of Education in 2009 through foundational regulations. Today, this commitment is being accelerated by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology through the Inclusive Campus Roadmap. However, of approximately 4,000 higher education institutions across Indonesia, only 125 campuses have currently established Disability Support Units (DSUs). This ratio remains far from ideal, particularly given that Indonesia has 3,128 students with disabilities.

Building an inclusive higher education system requires more than simply opening access for students with disabilities. Higher education institutions need to establish systems, leadership, services, and support mechanisms that can respond to the diverse needs of students with disabilities.

As part of efforts to strengthen the capacity of higher education institutions in Indonesia, Pijar Foundation, through the KRISAN Fellowship, facilitated a learning visit to institutions in Japan. The visit served as a platform for learning and knowledge exchange between representatives from five Indonesian higher education institutions and universities and practitioners in Japan.

The program is also supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology and the National Commission for Disability through a Memorandum of Understanding signed on July 1, 2026. Each year, the Ministry implements programs to strengthen and develop Disability Support Units. KRISAN Fellowship complements and strengthens these ongoing efforts.

KRISAN Fellowship brought together representatives from 27 higher education institutions across Indonesia, including institutions from Aceh, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, Gorontalo, and Southwest Papua. Before participating in the learning visit to Japan, fellows took part in a two-week Online Executive Workshop consisting of 11 learning sessions with academics and practitioners from Indonesia and Japan.

The five higher education institutions ultimately selected to participate in the learning visit to Japan were Ar-Raniry State Islamic University, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS), PGRI Argopuro University Jember, Kalla Institute of Business and Technology, and Bina Mandiri University Gorontalo. They were selected from the 27 participating Indonesian institutions following an initial selection process, an online executive workshop, and an assessment conducted by representatives from Japanese universities.

During the learning visit, KRISAN Fellows took part in visits, discussions, and knowledge exchanges with institutions in Japan, including The Open University of Japan, Tsukuba University of Technology (NTUT), and Kyoto University. The activities provided participants with opportunities to explore different approaches to building support systems for students with disabilities and developing more inclusive higher education environments.

“Japan was selected because its experience and cultural context in inclusive education share similarities with Indonesia. We designed this series of activities to create a space for Indonesian higher education institutions to learn, build networks, and explore opportunities to strengthen disability services within their respective institutions. We hope that the models and good practices from Japan can strengthen our shared aspiration to build inclusive higher education in Indonesia,” said Anthony Marwan, Head of Public Policy at Pijar Foundation.

This approach positions cross-country learning as a process for understanding different possibilities and identifying practices that can be adapted to local contexts.

From Learning to Institutional Change

Before participating in the learning visit to Japan, the fellows took part in the Online Executive Workshop, which explored various aspects of inclusive higher education. The learning sessions covered DSU development, international practices, reasonable accommodation, assessment and consultation procedures, Individual Support Plans, support services and assistive devices, student engagement, peer support, as well as institutional leadership and commitment. Participants also took part in Disability Equality Training as part of the fellowship program.

Through these stages, KRISAN Fellowship encourages higher education institutions to view inclusion not simply as the responsibility of a single unit or individual, but as part of a broader institutional system and commitment.

Beyond learning from practices implemented in Japan, KRISAN Fellowship also provided participants with a space to bring the experiences and perspectives of Indonesian higher education institutions into the discussions.

The fellows came from different regions and institutions with diverse contexts. This created opportunities for knowledge exchange not only between Indonesia and Japan, but also among participants from different higher education institutions across Indonesia.

“KRISAN Fellowship changed the way I see disability services in higher education. Previously, I thought inclusion was mainly about what universities need to provide. Now I understand that the most important thing is listening to students with disabilities. From there, we can build services that truly respond to their needs. With 189 students with disabilities at our university, I have realized that strengthening disability services cannot be done alone. We need collaboration, networks, and opportunities to continue learning from the experiences of other universities, including those in Japan, and then adapt them to our own context,” said Asrorul Mais, Vice Rector III of PGRI Argopuro University Jember.

This exchange is an important part of the learning process. Rather than seeking a single definition or model of an inclusive campus, participants were encouraged to understand how support systems can be developed according to the needs and contexts of each institution.