Indonesia’s top university confirms minister’s doctorate amid controversy over short duration of studies

JAKARTA: Amid a social media uproar over an Indonesian minister’s credentials from a top local university, the institution has sought to clarify that he has “completed all administrative and academic requirements” needed to graduate from the doctoral program.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia had also completed the “publication requirements” needed to graduate from his research program, the University of Indonesia (UI) said in a press statement on Monday (Oct 21).

“(Mr) Bahlil has followed and completed all the stages required for all students in the research path at the School of Strategic and Global Studies,” the university said in its statement, adding that the minister had joined the program in 2022 .

Local media reported that Mr. Bahlil’s graduation on October 16 caused controversy because of the short time it took him to graduate.

He completed his studies at the university’s School of Strategic and Global Studies in one year and eight months instead of the usual three years.

Over the weekend, UI professor and board chair Harkristuti Harkrisnowo told local media that the university’s council of professors had formed a team “to further investigate the alleged irregularities of the case.”

This came after a group of UI alumni started a petition on October 17 on change.org – the world’s largest petition platform – demanding the formation of an independent team to launch a full investigation into Mr Bahlils’ alleged commercialization degree.

The petition asked the university, which is ranked first in the country according to the 2024 QS World University Rankings, to revoke Mr Bahlil’s degree if an investigation revealed that it had in fact been awarded for violating the applicable regulations.

As of October 22, the petition had more than 9,700 signatures.

Meanwhile, Mr Bahlil’s PhD had also sparked outrage on social media.

“UI is highly regarded for producing the nation’s exceptional students. Don’t compromise on that just because of political interests, said X user @kiky_nih on October 18.

“(Mr) Bahlil made history by obtaining a PhD in UI in less than two years,” said another X user @cakkhum, with the post racking up more than 6,500 interactions.

UI pointed out Monday that Mr. Bahlil is not the first student to graduate in less than two years, while warning the public against spreading misinformation.

“In terms of the study period, (Mr.) Bahlil, who started studying in 2022, has completed four semesters. It should also be noted that before Mr. Bahlil, UI awarded a doctorate degree to student Dr. Sugeng Purwanto within 13 months and 26 days…,” the university said.

“UI would like to emphasize the importance of being cautious and verifying information so that the public receives the correct information.”

Previously, UI public relations chief Amelita Lusia said on October 17 that Mr Bahlil had adhered to the university’s statutes, drawn up in 2016, which stated that while the doctoral program is designed to be completed within six semesters, it may is to complete it in four semesters. .

“With this doctorate, Mr. Bahlil Lahadalia also strengthens his position as a leader who is not only focused on policy development, but also has a deep mastery of sustainable resource management,” she said, as quoted by local media Kompas.

Mr Bahlil’s thesis highlights the growth of Indonesia’s nickel downstream industry, while highlighting the industry’s dependence on foreign workers to accelerate progress, amid the finding that using local workers can sometimes slow down operations slow down.

On October 20, it was revealed that Mr Bahlil was part of President Prabowo Subianto’s ‘Red and White’ cabinet.

He held the same position as Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources under Mr Prabowo’s predecessor, Mr Joko Widodo, since August 2024. Previously, he served as the country’s Minister of Investments since April 2021.

ISSUE OF QUESTIONABLE DEGREES IN INDONESIA

According to local media The Jakarta Post, the furor over Mr. Bahlil’s degree took place amid claims that academics and politicians violated academic ethics by publishing articles in problematic journals to gain a professorship.

In July, eleven faculty members at Lambung Mangkurat University in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, became embroiled in a controversy after an anonymous whistleblower reported them for publishing articles in so-called predatory publications.

These publications typically operate on a pay-to-publish basis, with minimal peer review and an acceptance rate of almost 100 percent, where the journal or publisher prioritizes self-interest at the expense of scientific knowledge.

Such practices would have helped them meet one of the requirements to apply for a professorship, which is that they must have published at least one article in an academic journal, BBC Indonesia reported.

A magazine report by another local outlet, Tempo, accused politicians – including Gerindra Party director Sufmi Dasco Ahmad and Golkar’s Bambang Soesatyo – of earning their professorships by publishing articles in such predatory magazines. Both have denied the allegations, according to The Jakarta Post.