Education As Soft Power: Indonesia’s International Students Mobility Awards (IISMA) and the Practice of Educational Diplomacy (2021-2023)

Abstract

This research examines the implementation of Indonesia’s educational diplomacy through the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA) program from 2021 to 2023. Employing Joseph Nye’s Soft Power theory and Jane Knight’s Knowledge Diplomacy framework, this study examines how IISMA serves as a strategic tool for enhancing Indonesia's global image and promoting international cooperation through higher education mobility. The findings indicate that IISMA not only strengthens Indonesia’s soft power by empowering students as informal cultural ambassadors but also promotes collaborative knowledge exchange and long-term relationship-building, aligning with the principles of knowledge diplomacy. The program demonstrates that educational exchanges can serve dual functions: advancing the internationalization of higher education while simultaneously contributing to the nation's diplomatic capital. However, the research also highlights several challenges, including limited pre-departure preparation, underrepresentation of marginalized groups, and insufficient post-program integration, which may hinder IISMA's optimal diplomatic impact. The study concludes that while IISMA has significant potential as an instrument of educational diplomacy, continuous improvement is necessary to ensure its sustainability, inclusivity, and alignment with Indonesia’s broader foreign policy objectives.