<![CDATA[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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