TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Controversies raise questions about politicians’ demand for academic titles
Officials’ “unnecessary demand” for academic titles might be related to the country’s Dutch colonial past, during which degrees were seen as a way to heighten one’s social status, said Arief Anshory Yusuf, head of Padjadjaran University’s council of professors.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia (left) presents his dissertation on Indonesia's nickel industry management at the University of Indonesia's campus in Depok, West Java, on Oct. 16, 2024. (Antara/Indrianto Eko Suwarso)
S
everal officials and politicians in the administration of President Prabowo Subianto have been embroiled in controversies surrounding academic degrees they have been awarded, raising questions about whether the demand for such degrees among public officials stems from a practical need or is simply a form of prestige-chasing.
One such figure is actor-turned-businessman Raffi Ahmad, who was sworn in this week by President Prabowo Subianto as a special presidential envoy. He was part of the campaign team for Prabowo and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka for February’s presidential election.
Weeks before his appointment as presidential envoy, Raffi was awarded an honorary doctorate in event management and global digital development by an institution called the Universal Institute of Professional Management (UIPM), claiming to be based in Bangkok, Thailand.
But the degree drew backlash from netizens, who questioned the institute’s legitimacy as a higher education institution.
The then-education, culture, research and technology ministry launched a probe into the issue. It later stated that it could not acknowledge Raffi’s honorary degree because of UIPM’s lack of an operational permit in Indonesia, citing a requirement in the 2012 Higher Education Law.
Nevertheless, Raffi’s honorary degree was acknowledged during his inauguration ceremony on Tuesday.
Read also: Raffi Ahmad appointed Kadin deputy chair amid internal rift
