Makassar — Universitas Hasanuddin (UNHAS) continues to demonstrate significant progress in strengthening the internationalization of higher education through its UNHAS LEADS Scholarship program. According to international student data as of September 16, 2026, a total of 192 international students were recorded as UNHAS LEADS Scholarship recipients across the 2023–2025 cohorts, reflecting substantial growth in the number of recipients each year.
The UNHAS LEADS Scholarship is a financial assistance program offered by Universitas Hasanuddin to expand access to higher education for international students, particularly those from developing countries. The program is designed to support human resource development, increase opportunities for quality higher education, and strengthen academic cooperation and international relations between UNHAS and its partner countries.
Through a partial scholarship scheme, UNHAS LEADS provides financial support in the form of development fee waivers and reductions in international tuition fees, subject to applicable regulations. The program offers international students opportunities to pursue bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees across various study programs at Universitas Hasanuddin. With this support, students from developing countries are expected to gain greater access to academic opportunities, enhance their professional competencies, and experience higher education in an international academic environment.
Beyond reducing financial barriers to education, the UNHAS LEADS Scholarship serves as one of the university’s strategic initiatives to expand global academic networks and support human resource capacity development in recipients’ home countries. Through education and cross-cultural academic interactions, scholarship recipients are expected to contribute to development and the advancement of knowledge in their respective countries upon completing their studies.
Over the years, the number of UNHAS LEADS Scholarship recipients has grown remarkably. Based on recorded international student data, the program began with four students in the 2023 cohort. In 2024, the number increased to 56 students, representing an additional 52 recipients and a remarkable increase compared to the previous year.
This positive trend continued in 2025, with 132 students recorded in the cohort, an increase of 77 students or approximately 137.5% compared to 2024. Overall, the number of LEADS Scholarship recipients in the 2025 cohort was more than 33 times that of the 2023 cohort. This development reflects the program’s expanding reach and the growing participation of international students in scholarship opportunities offered by Universitas Hasanuddin.
In particular, the 2025 cohort recorded 132 international students from eight countries as UNHAS LEADS Scholarship recipients. Timor-Leste accounted for the largest number, with 80 students, followed by China with 44 students. Iraq and Yemen contributed two students each, while Burkina Faso, India, Japan, and Nigeria were represented by one student each.
The strong representation of students from Timor-Leste and China highlights the high level of participation from both countries in UNHAS’s international scholarship program. Together, students from these two countries accounted for approximately 93.2 percent of all LEADS Scholarship recipients in the 2025 cohort. Nevertheless, the diversity of nationalities represented demonstrates the program’s expanding international reach, particularly across Asia and Africa.
The steady increase in scholarship recipients over the years reflects Universitas Hasanuddin’s continued efforts to expand international access to higher education and enhance its attractiveness as a study destination for students from abroad. This growth also highlights the important role of scholarship programs in facilitating international student mobility and strengthening educational partnerships with countries around the world.
The presence of international students from different cohorts is also expected to enrich the university’s academic environment through the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and cultural perspectives between Indonesian and international students. Such interactions play an important role in fostering an inclusive and multicultural learning environment while enhancing global awareness and intercultural competencies among members of the academic community.
In addition to expanding access to education, the continued implementation of the LEADS Scholarship program contributes to strengthening Universitas Hasanuddin’s international reputation. By welcoming students from various countries, UNHAS has greater opportunities to showcase its educational quality, enhance academic collaboration, and establish long-term relationships with the global academic community.
With a total of 192 UNHAS LEADS Scholarship recipients recorded across the 2023–2025 cohorts, Universitas Hasanuddin remains committed to developing an open, inclusive, and globally oriented academic environment. The growing number of scholarship recipients is expected to provide further momentum for the university to expand international educational partnerships, enhance support services for international students, and strengthen its contributions to human resource development and cross-border educational collaboration.