Suspension of Doctorate Degree of Bahlil Lahadalia: Latest Facts and Apology from UI

Kapanlagi.com - Universitas Indonesia (UI) has just made a shocking decision: they have suspended the doctorate degree or PhD held by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Bahlil Lahadalia. This step was taken after a thorough evaluation at the School of Strategic and Global Studies (SKSG) UI, which highlighted the importance of academic standards and mentoring procedures.

In its statement, UI expressed its apologies to the public and acknowledged shortcomings in governance that contributed to this issue. This decision is not merely an administrative step, but also reflects UI's commitment to maintaining academic integrity.

Let us delve deeper into the reasons behind the suspension of Bahlil Lahadalia's doctorate degree and the concrete steps that UI will take to rectify this situation. Will this be a momentum for improving the higher education system in Indonesia?

1. Degree Suspended After Internal Audit

After pressure from the public, the University of Indonesia (UI) took decisive action by conducting an internal audit through the Tri Dharma Higher Education Implementation Oversight Team.

The team, consisting of the Academic Senate and the Board of Professors, conducted an in-depth review of the Doctoral Program (S3) at the School of Strategic and Global Studies (SKSG), including the case of awarding a doctoral degree to Bahlil Lahadalia.

The audit results decided to suspend Bahlil's doctoral degree, a decision announced during a coordination meeting of the four UI Organizations at the Salemba Campus, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (12/11/2024).

UI emphasized that the investigation and academic evaluation process is still ongoing, with an official statement stating that Bahlil's graduation as a student of the SKSG Doctoral Program is suspended in accordance with Rector Regulation Number 26 of 2022 and will follow the ethics council's decision.

2. Apology and Evaluation of UI

In a responsible step, Universitas Indonesia (UI) extends an apology to the public regarding the issues that have occurred. The Chair of the Board of Trustees (MWA) of UI, Yahya Cholil Staquf, emphasized that this incident serves as an important moment for evaluation, in order to improve quality and maintain the academic integrity of the campus.

As a preventive action, UI has decided to postpone the admission of new students to the Doctoral Program (S3) SKSG until the audit process and governance improvements are completed. This step is taken to ensure that education at UI remains professional and free from potential conflicts of interest.

"We realize that this issue, for the most part, stems from our internal shortcomings, and we are working to address it from both academic and ethical perspectives," said Yahya Cholil in his statement on Wednesday.

3. Public Spotlight on Bahlil's Doctorate Degree

The awarding of a doctorate to Bahlil Lahadalia has caught the attention of the public and the academic community, especially due to allegations of plagiarism in his dissertation titled "Policies, Institutions, and Governance of Just and Sustainable Nickel Downstreaming in Indonesia."

A post on social media revealed that the dissertation bears a shocking 95 percent similarity to the work of a student from UIN Syarif Hidayatullah.

Moreover, Bahlil's study duration of only 1 year and 8 months to obtain a PhD with cum laude honors has also raised questions and speculation about the rigor of the mentoring process at the School of Strategic and Global Studies (SKSG) University of Indonesia.

4. Response from Bahlil Lahadalia

In response to the circulating issues, Bahlil firmly clarified his academic journey. He explained that he has completed all the required stages, from mentoring, seminars, to an open defense for his doctoral promotion.

Bahlil emphasized that he has met the minimum semester requirements set by SKSG UI, stating, "I don't know, that's an internal campus matter. However, according to the rules, for the PhD program in research, I have completed 4 semesters, which is the minimum limit." He said when met at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources on Friday, October 18, 2024.

(kpl/rmt)