A number of Indonesian nationals are suspected of falsifying research\nand identities while attending the International Society of Pneumonia\nand Pneumococcal Diseases (ISSPD) conference in Copenhagen, Denmark,\nfrom 17 to 21 May 2026. The allegations were revealed by epidemiologist\nWa Ode Dwi Daningrat, who participated in the scientific event\nrepresenting Oxford University.<\/p>\n
Dwi reported witnessing a woman named Prihantini posing as Dimas\nFajar Prasetyo during a poster spotlight session on the second day.\nBefore presenting, she removed a name card reading Riana Dwi Kurniawati\nand replaced it with one bearing Dimas Fajar Prasetyo\u2019s name, taken from\nher bag. \u201cIt happened right in front of me with no barriers. Perhaps she\nwas in a rush and stopped noticing those around her,\u201d Dwi recounted\nduring a video call on Tuesday, 26 May 2026.<\/p>\n
Dwi questioned Prihantini\u2019s identity, noting the discrepancy that\nDimas was not male. Suspicion grew when Prihantini was seen changing her\nhijab upon entering Station 4, layering a red hijab with a black one.\nShe presented a different study in Section 2 under the name Riana Dwi\nKurniati, ten minutes after the previous session. Dwi noted that\nPrihantini\u2019s name did not appear in the abstract or poster, yet she and\nRivaldy Fajar suddenly appeared in the presentation materials.<\/p>\n
After the session, Dwi asked Prihantini to explain the research\nallegedly authored by five people, including herself as lead author,\nDimas Fajar Prasetyo, Aminatus Sa\u2019adah, Riana Dwi Kurniati, and Rivaldy\nFajar as team leader. Dwi observed she was unable to explain the\nabstract or poster regarding the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine\n(PVC).<\/p>\n
Dwi could not verify the authenticity of Dimas, Aminatus, and Riana\nas they were not present, but communication with Rivaldy occurred via\nvideo call through Prihantini\u2019s phone. After pressure, Prihantini\nadmitted she was not Dimas or Riana as claimed before international\nscientists.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reason I was so concerned and reported this was because their\nvaccine research claims were enormous and the results appeared highly\nexaggerated,\u201d Dwi said.<\/p>\n
According to Prihantini\u2019s confession, the group submitted 19\nabstracts claiming extensive research across multiple\ncountries\u2014including Peruvian Andes, Ethiopian highlands, Guatemala,\nLebanon, and Nepal\u2014without ethical approvals or local collaborations.\nDwi also suspected fabricated data and AI-generated content, deeming it\nimpossible to produce such flawless results unintentionally. The group\nallegedly sought travel grants without conducting actual research.<\/p>\n
ISSPD 2026 organisers revoked the group\u2019s travel grants on 21 May\nafter the report was filed on 19 May. The research group is also\nsuspected of participating in other conferences, such as the\nInternational Conference on Resource Sustainability 2025 in Adelaide,\nAustralia, the Outstanding Research Abstract Award in Kyoto, Japan, and\nthe Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver conference in\nTokyo.<\/p>\n
Dwi and Ida Bagus Mandhara Brasika, a lecturer at Udayana\nUniversity\u2019s Faculty of Marine and Fisheries pursuing a climate\nmathematics doctorate at the University of Exeter, raised the issue on\nsocial media, stating the actions tarnish Indonesian researchers\u2019\ninternational reputation. Mandhara called the alleged fraud a serious\nacademic ethics violation and urged social sanctions due to the lack of\nformal academic reporting systems in Indonesia. \u201cThis incident is just\nthe tip of the iceberg. Without proper mechanisms, we\u2019re left with\nsocial pressure,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Tempo has been unable to contact Prihantini and Rivaldy Fajar as\ntheir social media accounts were deleted after the scandal went viral.\nRivaldy briefly posted a clarification statement before closing his\naccounts.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/chronology-of-indonesian-nationals-allegedly-falsifying-research-at-international-conference-1779899169", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }