Big wigs fail test for buying degrees

Big wigs fail test for buying degrees

Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

A former vice president, several former Cabinet ministers, some
Muslim clerics and a number of retired senior police officers are
among the prominent figures facing police investigation for
allegedly obtaining academic titles from a suspected illegal
educational institute.

A National Police spokesman said on Monday that the police
were now examining the database of the U.S.-affiliated Institut
Manajemen Global Indonesia (IMGI), which lists the former top
officials among the approximately 5,000 people it graduated since
it was established in 1997.

Most of the officials and police officers obtained the
degrees, ranging from bachelor's degrees to doctorates, between
1998 and 1999, before they reached the peaks of their careers.

"We are seeking information from the Directorate General of
Higher Education about the legality of the institute," police
spokesman Sr. Comr. Saud Usman Nasution said.

If found guilty of using an academic title from an
unregistered educational institute, a person may be sentenced to
up to five years in jail or a maximum fine of Rp 500 million
(US$50,500), according to the National Education Law. Those
running an unlicensed institute or offering illegal academic
titles face a maximum 10 years in jail.

Police have arrested nine executives and staff members of the
Jakarta-based IMGI, including president director Mardiana and
program directors Harris Robert and Luke Comay.

Mardiana's lawyer Solihin said he had submitted the names of
47 IMGI graduates to the police for verification.

Solihin said the graduates received their awards from other
putative universities that collaborated with IMGI, such as the
American World University (AWU), the Northern California Global
University (NCGU), the Senior University (SU) and an institute
called the Jakarta International Management Studies (JIMS).

None of these so-called universities are licensed to operate
in their own countries.

According to a document obtained by The Jakarta Post, the
former vice president obtained a doctorate from AWU, which was
conferred during a ceremony in Singapore in 2002. A former
transportation minister also received a doctorate from AWU in
1998.

A former home minister obtained his Master of Business
Administration (MBA) degree from JIMS in 1998 and later obtained
a doctorate from NCGU in 1999, while a former state minister for
women's empowerment received her doctorate from NCGU in 2002,
which was conferred during a graduation ceremony at the Hotel
Indonesia.

Around 15 active and former senior police officers are also
listed as IMGI graduates.

To obtain their degrees, the officials were theoretically
required to defend their theses, although the police say they
never attended a single class.

Commenting on the case, sociologist Ida Ruwaida of the
University of Indonesia said academic titles were a potent symbol
of status here.

She added that many government and military/police officers
opted to buy academic degrees as they knew this would advance
their careers.