group of people in front of event banners

Higher Education Partnership Initiative (HEPI)

Transforming STEM education through strategic international partnerships

View all past programs

Funder

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Program dates

2022–2025 (3 years)

Partner

United States-Indonesia Society (USINDO)

Focus

STEM higher education and industry partnership

$9M USD

Amount Awarded

Region

Southeast Asia: Indonesia

Project Overview

The Higher Education Partnership Initiative strengthened Indonesia’s STEM ecosystem by aligning universities, industry and international partners around accreditation, curriculum modernization and workforce development. Through consortium-building, experiential learning and sustained cross-sector engagement, HEPI advanced institutional quality and global competitiveness in Indonesian higher education.

Advancing STEM Quality and Workforce Readiness in Indonesia

Funded by USAID Indonesia and implemented by Arizona State University from 2022 to 2025, HEPI strengthened sustainable partnerships between universities and industry in the United States and Indonesia. The $6 million project, supplemented by $3 million in cost share from industry and academic partners, advanced STEM education quality and workforce alignment across Indonesia.

HEPI aligned industry-linked curricula with international accreditation standards, supported university leadership and faculty development and created structured pathways for U.S.–Indonesia higher education collaboration. Through consortium-building, project-based learning models and cross-sector convenings, the initiative strengthened institutional systems and expanded opportunities for Indonesian students to pursue degree and short-term academic programs.

Impact at a glance

35+

university consortium members

15

provinces represented

4,500+

learners engaged

4,000+

higher education personnel engaged

350+

faculty and staff trained

222

HEPI-led activities conducted

Key Achievements and Strategic Approach

National Consortium Development
Established a consortium of more than 35 Indonesian higher education institutions across 15 provinces, strengthening collaboration and STEM advancement nationwide.
Industry-Linked Curriculum Reform
Aligned academic programs with industry needs through expanded project-based learning and capstone experiences to produce work-ready graduates.
Maker Innovation Infrastructure
Launched three Maker Innovation Spaces at BINUS, UNHAS and ITB, representing more than $400,000 in facility and equipment investments to support experiential learning and accreditation readiness.
Leadership and Faculty Capacity Building
Engaged more than 3,200 higher education leaders and personnel and trained over 350 faculty members through workshops, mentoring and collaborative programming.
Regional and International Convenings
Hosted the inaugural STEMCON conference in November 2023, convening more than 140 academic, government and industry stakeholders, and introduced Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) at partner universities.

Impact in action

Vocational Faculty Instructional Innovation Program

The Launch of Maker Innovation Space with USAID HEPI

USAID HEPI Forum

Trailblazing Women at USAID HEPI Forum 2024