Big wigs fail test for buying degrees<\/p>\n
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
A former vice president, several former Cabinet ministers, some
\nMuslim clerics and a number of retired senior police officers are
\namong the prominent figures facing police investigation for
\nallegedly obtaining academic titles from a suspected illegal
\neducational institute.<\/p>\n
A National Police spokesman said on Monday that the police
\nwere now examining the database of the U.S.-affiliated Institut
\nManajemen Global Indonesia (IMGI), which lists the former top
\nofficials among the approximately 5,000 people it graduated since
\nit was established in 1997.<\/p>\n
Most of the officials and police officers obtained the
\ndegrees, ranging from bachelor's degrees to doctorates, between
\n1998 and 1999, before they reached the peaks of their careers.<\/p>\n
"We are seeking information from the Directorate General of
\nHigher Education about the legality of the institute," police
\nspokesman Sr. Comr. Saud Usman Nasution said.<\/p>\n
If found guilty of using an academic title from an
\nunregistered educational institute, a person may be sentenced to
\nup to five years in jail or a maximum fine of Rp 500 million
\n(US$50,500), according to the National Education Law. Those
\nrunning an unlicensed institute or offering illegal academic
\ntitles face a maximum 10 years in jail.<\/p>\n
Police have arrested nine executives and staff members of the
\nJakarta-based IMGI, including president director Mardiana and
\nprogram directors Harris Robert and Luke Comay.<\/p>\n
Mardiana's lawyer Solihin said he had submitted the names of
\n47 IMGI graduates to the police for verification.<\/p>\n
Solihin said the graduates received their awards from other
\nputative universities that collaborated with IMGI, such as the
\nAmerican World University (AWU), the Northern California Global
\nUniversity (NCGU), the Senior University (SU) and an institute
\ncalled the Jakarta International Management Studies (JIMS).<\/p>\n
None of these so-called universities are licensed to operate
\nin their own countries.<\/p>\n
According to a document obtained by The Jakarta Post, the
\nformer vice president obtained a doctorate from AWU, which was
\nconferred during a ceremony in Singapore in 2002. A former
\ntransportation minister also received a doctorate from AWU in
\n1998.<\/p>\n
A former home minister obtained his Master of Business
\nAdministration (MBA) degree from JIMS in 1998 and later obtained
\na doctorate from NCGU in 1999, while a former state minister for
\nwomen's empowerment received her doctorate from NCGU in 2002,
\nwhich was conferred during a graduation ceremony at the Hotel
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Around 15 active and former senior police officers are also
\nlisted as IMGI graduates.<\/p>\n
To obtain their degrees, the officials were theoretically
\nrequired to defend their theses, although the police say they
\nnever attended a single class.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the case, sociologist Ida Ruwaida of the
\nUniversity of Indonesia said academic titles were a potent symbol
\nof status here.<\/p>\n
She added that many government and military\/police officers
\nopted to buy academic degrees as they knew this would advance
\ntheir careers.<\/p>",
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