Jakarta, Aug. 16 -- Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Brian Yuliarto said Indonesia's sizeable education budget could be used to accelerate downstreaming through targeted research initiatives.

"Strategic research, such as the downstreaming of rare earth metals, is already underway in universities. These resources are in high demand globally," Yuliarto said in a statement on Saturday.

He added that his ministry is committed to optimizing the education budget to strengthen research and innovation ecosystems, expand access to higher education for Garuda School graduates, and promote downstreaming of natural resources to support the national economy.

"I hope the outcomes of this research will provide real solutions for ...