Fraudulent Holiday Scheme Disguised as Academic Conference
Indonesian academia has been shaken by a moral scandal tarnishing the reputation of Indonesian researchers on the international stage. An investigation report by TEMPO (27 May 2026) revealed allegations of fraudulent practices by several Indonesian citizens during the International Society of Pneumonia and Pneumococcal Diseases (ISSPD) conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 17-21 May 2026.
Instead of contributing scientifically, the group is strongly suspected of falsifying identities and research results to facilitate personal leisure trips. This concerning phenomenon not only betrays the essence of scientific integrity but also reflects the instant-gratification mentality still plaguing some who claim to be part of the country’s academic community.
In the digital age, passports filled with immigration stamps and photos in front of iconic foreign landmarks are no longer mere travel records. Borrowing the term from Pierre Bourdieu and Loïc Wacquant (2013), such experiences are interpreted as social currency. This symbolic capital distinguishes individuals by fostering perceptions of superiority, transforming international travel into a status symbol displayed on social media.
Critically, the desire to appear global often clashes with financial and professional limitations. This gap has birthed fraudulent practices through academic agenda falsification, affiliation manipulation, and misuse of research grants to fund personal escapism.
Social media exacerbates this by triggering FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Exposure to glamorous overseas content obscures the reality of high costs, leading to assumptions that frequent travellers are successful or wealthy. The social pressure to emulate artificial success standards drives some to join this trend despite lacking financial means or legitimate professional credentials.
International conferences and research grants are increasingly targeted by individuals seeking free overseas trips. Through this scheme, perpetrators gain dual benefits: moral legitimacy as ‘academics’ and free funding. Allegedly using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, those seeking artificial validation manipulate personal data, academic abstracts, posters, and administrative documents to pass curations.
Unaffiliated individuals typically lack access to funding or travel sponsors. However, this group bypasses strict procedures by impersonating major institutions or fabricating fictional research bodies, deceiving international grant providers who failed to detect invalid submissions.
According to CNBC Indonesia (28 May 2026), Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Brian Yuliarto stated his ministry is investigating the alleged fake research by Indonesians in Denmark. Initial findings confirm the perpetrators were not registered as active lecturers or researchers in Indonesia, indicating they exploited administrative loopholes.
Senior academics have corroborated the irregularities. Theddeus Octavianus Hari Prasetyono, Secretary of the Indonesian Medical Professors’ Assembly (MGBKI), noted that obtaining international travel grants in science—particularly medicine—is difficult due to stringent selection processes. Frequent overseas trips using grant funds therefore raise serious questions within a healthy scientific ecosystem.
The impact of these actions is significant. The credibility of Indonesian researchers on the international stage is now in jeopardy, severely harming genuine researchers who have dedicated their lives to advancing science. Such fraudulent practices not only create an unhealthy competitive environment but also tarnish the reputation