IISMA: A Reference for European Host Universities
IISMA (Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards) is the Indonesian government’s flagship outbound mobility programme. It funds full-coverage one-semester placements abroad for Indonesian undergraduate students at partner universities, with all costs underwritten by LPDP. This page is a structured reference for European universities, mobility offices, and policy makers considering or already engaged in IISMA partnerships.
Updated: 10 May 2026 · Primary sources: iisma.kemdikbud.go.id · lpdp.kemenkeu.go.id
Programme Overview
IISMA is a unilateral inbound mobility programme funded by the Indonesian government to send Indonesian undergraduate and vocational students to partner universities for one full semester. Unlike Erasmus+, which operates on bilateral exchange, IISMA does not require the host institution to send students in return. The programme is fully government-financed, removing the financial risk associated with self-funded exchange or third-party scholarship students.
The programme operates through three main streams:
- IISMA Reguler — for S1 (bachelor) students at accredited Indonesian higher education institutions.
- IISMA Vokasi — for D3/D4 (vocational) students.
- IISMA Co-funding — partial funding stream where students or families contribute a portion.
How a European University Becomes an IISMA Host
The official partnership pathway runs through the IISMA Secretariat at Kemendikbudristek. Universities apply during periodic open calls; existing partners renew annually. Selection criteria typically include:
- Institutional standing (QS top-200 or strong subject-specific reputation)
- Capacity to admit non-degree exchange students for a single semester
- Availability of English-medium instruction at the relevant level
- Willingness to issue official transcripts at programme completion
- Basic welfare and arrival support for incoming students
- Compatibility with Indonesian academic calendar (autumn or spring intake)
Application materials and current calls are published at iisma.kemdikbud.go.id.
Financial Model
IISMA's financial model is favourable for host institutions because the funding flow is direct from the Indonesian government to the receiving university:
| Item | Funded by | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition fees | LPDP | Host institution directly |
| Living allowance | LPDP | Student monthly |
| Health insurance | LPDP | Student or insurer |
| Visa and travel | LPDP | Student |
| Settlement allowance | LPDP | Student (one-time) |
Host institutions invoice LPDP directly for tuition. Payment terms and amounts are negotiated as part of the partnership agreement.
Host Obligations
Host obligations are designed to be lightweight, recognising that IISMA students are non-degree exchange students with a one-semester stay:
- Course access: students enrol in regular courses at the contracted level, typically the equivalent of 20-30 ECTS credits per semester.
- Academic supervision: standard course-level supervision and assessment. No thesis or research supervision required.
- Transcripts: official transcripts issued at programme completion for credit recognition at the home institution.
- Welfare: arrival orientation, basic accommodation guidance, and access to standard student services.
- Language: instruction in English (or the host language if the student demonstrates competence).
Institutional Benefits
For European universities, IISMA participation contributes to several internationalisation strategies:
- Cohort quality: IISMA awardees are selected from 17,000+ applicants annually, representing the top tier of Indonesian undergraduates.
- Internationalisation metrics: inbound non-EU mobility is a meaningful metric in many national and EU rankings.
- Indonesia presence: Indonesia is the world’s 4th most populous country and has rapidly growing higher education investment. IISMA is an institutional foot in the door.
- Alumni pipeline: IISMA alumni return to Indonesia as a high-network cohort — relevant for future graduate programme recruitment, research collaborations, and industry partnerships.
- No financial risk: tuition is funded directly by the Indonesian government, unlike self-funded or scholarship-pending students.
IISMA vs Erasmus+ vs Bilateral Agreements
For mobility coordinators evaluating Indonesian student inflows, the three primary mechanisms operate quite differently:
| Aspect | IISMA | Erasmus+ ICM | Bilateral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funding source | Indonesian govt (LPDP) | EU + national agencies | Variable |
| Reciprocity required | No | Yes (some) | Usually yes |
| Cohort size potential | 10-50+ per host | 5-15 per agreement | Variable |
| Tuition flow | Paid directly to host | Often waived both ways | Varies |
| Administrative burden | Low (handled by IISMA Sec.) | Medium | High (per agreement) |
Related Programmes
For institutions building a structured Asia-Pacific mobility strategy, IISMA sits alongside several complementary programmes:
- LPDP main scholarship — funds Indonesian master's and doctoral students for full degrees abroad. Same funder, different scheme.
- Beasiswa Indonesia Maju (BIM) — full-degree undergraduate scholarship abroad for Indonesian high-school graduates.
- JASSO (Japan) — Japan’s equivalent inbound mobility funding.
- Korea Government Scholarship Programme (KGSP) — Korean government’s mobility scheme.
Working with Internship Abroad on IISMA
Internship Abroad operates a 17-market network for international internship placement, with strong existing flows from Indonesia. We are not the IISMA programme operator. We are a verified placement partner that can receive IISMA students whose mobility plan includes an internship component, and we work with European host institutions on Indonesian student integration. For partnership inquiries, see For Partners or contact larysa@internshipabroad.eu.
Authoritative Sources
- Official IISMA portal: iisma.kemdikbud.go.id
- LPDP (funding body): lpdp.kemenkeu.go.id
- Kemendikbudristek (administering ministry): kemdikbud.go.id
- Kampus Merdeka (broader policy framework): kampusmerdeka.kemdikbud.go.id
- Student-facing IISMA reference (Indonesian): internshipabroad.id/programs/iisma/
This page is an independent institutional reference compiled by Internship Abroad. We are not the IISMA programme operator. For official applications, eligibility, and current calls, refer to iisma.kemdikbud.go.id. For host-institution and partner enquiries, see For Partners.