Jakarta, 6 January 2026
In an effort to ensure that Indonesia’s nurse migration policy is grounded in robust research and data, the PELITA Project (Understanding the Education and Labor Market Consequences of Indonesia’s Quest to Become the World’s Leading Nurse Exporting Nation) held an Advisory Panel Meeting bringing together all key strategic stakeholders at the Gran Melia Hotel Jakarta.
The meeting was facilitated by the Research Team, comprising Prof. Rini Rachmawaty (Moderator and Note-taker) and Prof. Ferry Efendi (Facilitator). It involved representatives from key stakeholder institutions including the Indonesian Health Council (KKI), the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (KP2MI), Bappenas, WHO Indonesia, the World Bank, Binawan, as well as nursing professional and educational associations such as PPNI, AIPVIKI, AINEC, LAM-PTKes, and various nursing education institutions.
The Chairman of KKI, drg. Arianti Anaya, MKM, strongly expressed support for this research but emphasized the importance of ensuring that nurses sent abroad meet international requirements, while guaranteeing that their competencies remain recognized upon their return to Indonesia. “To what extent is it possible to add to their competencies and have these recognized both by Indonesia and by international hospitals?” she said.
The Director of Health Human Resources Provision at the Ministry of Health, Anna Kurniati, S.KM., M.A., Ph.D., conveyed that this project is aligned with national priorities in health labor market analysis. She highlighted challenges related to the capacity of healthcare facilities to absorb nursing graduates, foreign language proficiency, and the importance of research findings feeding into policy.
Meanwhile, the Director of Learning and Student Affairs at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Benny Bandanadjaja, S.T., M.T., stressed the importance of aligning the educational process with global needs from an early stage. “All study programs must be internationally accredited so that graduates are equivalent to international standards without the need for additional education,” he explained.
The Head of the Manpower Planning and Development Agency, Prof. Drs. Anwar Sanusi, M.P.A., Ph.D., noted the high global demand for Indonesian nurses, particularly from Japan, which requires more than 8,000 healthcare workers over the next five years. He emphasized the need for comprehensive job order data from various countries in order to match supply with demand for nursing personnel.
The Director of Employment at Bappenas, Dr. Nur Hygiawati Rahayu, ST, MSc., expressed hope that the research would produce both quantitative and qualitative data on supply and demand, including linkage and matching mechanisms to strengthen the healthcare ecosystem and improve the quality of health facilities in remote areas.
The Chairman of PPNI, Dr. Harif Fadhillah, S.Kp., S.H., M.Kep., M.H., reminded participants of the importance of ethical recruitment in nurse migration and the need for investment in service delivery areas. He also highlighted the importance of synergy in the competency testing system, curriculum, and registration and certification systems. Participants agreed that research findings should be disseminated incrementally through milestones that stakeholders can immediately utilize, rather than waiting until the project is complete. The research is also expected to produce recommendations for stakeholders that are knowable and doable, and capable of influencing policy through a measurable roadmap.
