JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com \u2013 The phenomenon of thesis ghostwriting services\nincreasingly prevalent among students is not merely an issue of\nindividual morality, but a reflection of the higher education system\u2019s\nfailure to accommodate the diversity of students\u2019 abilities and\nneeds.<\/p>\n
Education observer Ina Liem views this practice as an accumulation of\nvarious long-standing structural problems, from mismatches in the\nlearning system to weak implementation of policies at the university\nlevel.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thesis ghostwriting phenomenon is actually not a new issue, but\nnow its scale is larger and more blatant. This is an accumulation of\nseveral failures in the design of our education system,\u201d said Ina when\ncontacted by Kompas.com on Tuesday (7\/4\/2026).<\/p>\n
According to her, one root of the problem lies in the mismatch\nbetween students\u2019 characteristics and uniform academic demands.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe problem is that our higher education system is still\none-directional. Everyone is treated as if they must be a conceptor. In\nthe end, everyone is forced to write a thesis,\u201d said Ina.<\/p>\n
However, she continued, for students with practical inclinations, a\nthesis is not only difficult but also often irrelevant to their learning\nstyle.<\/p>\n
Ina also highlighted the lack of strong differentiation in higher\neducation institutions in Indonesia. In several countries, there is a\nclear separation between research-based universities and practice-based\ninstitutions.<\/p>\n
According to Ina, Indonesia actually already has vocational and\npolytechnic pathways, but in terms of perception, they are still viewed\ndifferently.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut in terms of social perception, they are still considered \u2018second\nclass\u2019. As a result, everyone flocks to the academic pathway, which\nindeed requires a research-based thesis,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
However, according to Ina, the government through policies in the era\nof the previous Education Minister has opened opportunities for\nflexibility in final assignments.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thesis is no longer the only graduation requirement; it can be\nin the form of projects, products, or other works that are more relevant\nto the students\u2019 field and profile. That means, in terms of policy, the\ndoor has been opened,\u201d said Ina.<\/p>\n
However, she assesses that the implementation of this policy has not\nrun optimally in many campuses. Many campuses still cling to the old\npattern, as if a thesis is the only graduation standard.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the other hand, not all institutions are ready to design quality\nalternative final assignments, and not a few are not yet brave enough to\nstep out of the comfort zone of a system that has been running for\ndecades,\u201d explained Ina.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn conditions like this, some of them end up looking for shortcuts.\nAnd that\u2019s where thesis ghostwriters find their market,\u201d said Ina.<\/p>\n
Behind the prevalence of this practice, there are individuals who see\neconomic opportunities from students\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n
One of them is Haikal (not his real name), a 30-year-old man from\nEast Jakarta who has been offering thesis ghostwriting services since\n2025.<\/p>\n
Haikal admitted that he initially started the service for economic\nreasons.<\/p>\n
His business started gradually and is still running to this day. In\nthe last year, he claims to have handled around 10 clients, excluding\nrequests for other coursework.<\/p>\n
According to Haikal, his clients come from various backgrounds,\nalthough the majority are final-year students.<\/p>\n
\u201cMostly final-year students, but it doesn\u2019t rule out those who are\nalso working,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In his practice, the services offered are quite flexible, from\ncompleting partial chapters to the entire thesis.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt depends on the request; some from start to finish, others just\nchapters 4 and 5,\u201d said Haikal.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/thesis-ghostwriting-phenomenon-on-the-rise-expert-calls-it-a-reflection-of-higher-education-system-failures-1775656340", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }