Govt to ban parade of academic titles

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesians may soon no longer be able to flaunt their academic degrees as a new ruling is being drafted to regulate the public use of such credentials.

The Ministry of National Education's Director of Private Universities, Joetata Hadihardaja, said his office was preparing a regulation which limited the number of titles which could be displayed to follow a graduate's name.

He said each person would likely be allowed only one academic title to accompany their name. Joetata added that the highest academic achievement should be the one used publicly.

Many people here like to show off their numerous degrees, like medals on an officer's chest, as they supposedly add more credibility and distinction, especially if the degree is obtained abroad.

In the frenzy to be distinguished, many, for example, still jot their foreign-acquired undergraduate degrees beside their names, despite already having a graduate degree title listed.

Joetata told journalists in Bandung, West Java, on Saturday that if a person had a master's degree they would not be allowed to include their S-1 (Indonesian equivalent to an undergraduate bachelor's degree) after their names.

If the person had a doctoral degree then that would be the only one used.

However, Joetata did not mention when the new regulation would be brought in.

Joetata said the regulation was part of the ministry's efforts to fight the existence of numerous dubious educational institutions which promised enrolled students an easy way of obtaining academic distinctions.

He explained that the ministry had already closed down 11 of these institutions.

"But these institutions continue to exist because there are no legal sanctions for the people who establish them," he said as quoted by Antara.

Joetata explained that graduates studying abroad would also have to validate their degrees at local educational offices in Indonesia.

Earlier, Minister of National Education Yahya Muhaimin kicked off the effort to clean up Indonesia's higher education field by urging universities to dismiss lecturers with questionable academic qualifications.

Joetata said the public was confused about the various academic titles. As an example, he noted that the highest academic degree which can be obtained was a doctoral degree. While professorships in Indonesia could only be earned through years of teaching experience.(04)