A top-ranking nearby school in Indonesia has delayed awarding a graduate degree to a minister less than a fortnight after confirming that the minister had met all administrative and academic needs to graduate.
In a” comprehensive audit” of the program’s governance and academic processes, the University of Indonesia ( UI) also issued a public apology and said it would temporarily halt admission of new students to the doctoral program under the School of Strategic and Global Studies.  ,
Following a” cooperation meeting,” Bahlil Lahadalia, the minister of energy and material resources, was given the opportunity to postpone receiving her doctoral level.  ,
Following an in-depth evaluation of the program Mr. Bahlil was enrolled in as part of efforts to maintain its academic integrity and quality, the head of UI’s board of trustees, Dr. Yahya Cholil Staquf said in a press release on Tuesday ( Nov 12 ).” Ul admits that this problem, among other things, stems from UI’s own shortcomings.
According to reports, Mr. Bahlil’s analysis program at UI’s School of Strategic and Global Studies was completed last quarter.  ,
The minister’s report that the program was completed in one year and eight weeks, as opposed to the standard three or four years for most applicants at the prestigious Indonesian school, caused controversy.  ,
According to the QS World University Rankings 2024, the college had been placed first in the nation.  ,
According to local media reports, there was rife rumors that Mr. Bahlil had allegedly used” joki” service to submit his academic papers. This is a practice that pays people to complete academic work on behalf of others.  ,
Mr. Bahlil, who is also the head of the Golkar party, told the media on Thursday that he views the delay in his graduate degree as an operational lapse because he is still awaiting the results of his official graduation ceremony and revision of his dissertation.
The minister was quoted as saying by regional media outlet Kompas,” I understand that ( my graduate degree is not specifically postponed; more, my graduation is scheduled for December, and I will only be considered to have passed the program after that.”
” My graduate degree will only be considered total once those edits are made,” I said after finishing my research.
He added that he has n’t thoroughly examined the letter the university sent him.
” Just question UI for more details”, he told the media.
Indian citizens have praised the UI decision, saying it was possible a response to the growing public pressure.  ,  ,
” It’s a great proceed, aiming to regain scientific integrity but also a reminder of the holes in the system”, says a local non-mainstream internet app @nuicemedia on X, with the blog receiving over 3, 400 memes and 7, 000 wants.  ,
X person @narkosun wrote,” Good job University of Indonesia for upholding the reputation of a prominent institution.”  ,
” If a leading organization loses its dignity, the pursuit of truth becomes biased and unsatisfactory. Academic integrity keeps information separate from private interests, and it upholds its ideals through education. Thank you, UI for reaffirming this principle”, an Instagram user @habibsyadzily commented, in response to a blog by local internet Kumparan.
” If the problem had not gone popular, would there still be a delay”? On the same article, a netizen named Dr. Muslimkasim commented.  ,
On October 17, a group of UI students started a plea for change. The largest petition platform in the world, petition .org, demands the establishment of an independent group to build a full investigation into Mr. Bahlil’s degree’s reported commercialization.  ,
If investigations determined that Mr. Bahlil’s degree was actually awarded in violation of current laws, the petition demanded that the university withdraw it.