Education as a Tool of Indonesia’s Soft Power Toward Afghanistan (2021-2025)
Abstract
This study examines how education functioned as an instrument of Indonesia’s soft power toward Afghanistan between 2021 and 2025. Applying Joseph Nye’s Soft Power Theory and educational diplomacy concepts within a qualitative document analysis framework, the study evaluates official policy documents, scholarship records, and institutional reports. The findings reveal that Indonesia successfully projected soft power through a hybrid, multi-track mechanism combining state-funded programs like the KNB Scholarship with initiatives from Islamic higher education institutions and civil society. This approach integrated moderate Islamic values (Wasathiyyah) and South–South solidarity to maintain non-coercive diplomatic engagement. However, Taliban-imposed restrictions on female mobility and financial limitations constrained its broader impact. The study concludes that education serves as a effective non-coercive foreign policy tool for middle powers in conflict-affected regions, combining educational access, Islamic solidarity, and long-term people-to-people diplomatic outreach.
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