Indonesian 'Fake Scientist' Scandal at Global Conference Sparks ITB and LPDP Response

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Allegations of fabricated research presented by an Indonesian researcher at the International Society of Pneumonia and Pneumococcal Diseases (ISSPD) conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 17-21 May 2026 have tarnished the reputation of Indonesian scientists globally. The incident has sparked heated online discussions.

Both the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and the Education Management Agency (LPDP) have issued statements regarding the case.

ITB, in its official statement released on Thursday (28 May 2026), identified the researcher as Prihatini, a 2020 graduate of the Master’s Programme in Mathematics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA). She completed her studies in 2022.

Citing detikcom, FMIPA ITB Dean Aep Patah stated that the material presented at the international conference was unrelated to her thesis or academic activities at ITB.

Her master’s thesis at ITB was titled ‘Analytical Study of Water Waves Caused by Landslides on Sloping Shores’.

‘Sister Prihatini’s actions are those of an individual under the law. Should legal proceedings arise from this, ITB fully respects any such legal efforts,’ ITB stated, citing detikcom on Thursday (28 May 2026).

ITB reiterated its commitment to strengthening an academic culture of integrity and responsible research.

Prihatini is also an LPDP scholarship recipient. LPDP has also issued a statement, affirming its commitment to upholding integrity, professionalism, and academic ethics. It does not tolerate any violations in scientific activities.

‘Regarding this matter, LPDP is currently reviewing and examining circulating information, including verifying relevant data and facts. Initial internal checks confirm that the individual named Prihatini is a former scholarship recipient who completed her studies in 2022,’ confirmed LPDP’s Legal and Communications Division Head M. Lukmanul Hakim to detikEdu, citing detikcom on Thursday (28 May 2026).

LPDP stated it will conduct further review regarding compliance with scholarship contract obligations and coordinate with relevant parties, including universities, to obtain comprehensive clarity.

‘The findings from this investigation will serve as the basis for LPDP’s subsequent actions in accordance with applicable regulations. LPDP appreciates public attention and remains committed to maintaining accountability and the honour of Indonesia’s academic community globally,’ said Lukmanul.

Case Chronology

The scandal was first exposed by an Indonesian student. Through her Instagram account, Wa Ode Dwi Daningrat, a PhD candidate at Oxford University, detailed allegations of data manipulation and researcher identity fraud.

Prihatini is reported to have submitted four research titles:

Deep Reinforcement Learning Guided Scheduling of Flagellin and Antibiotics For Precision Host-Directed Therapy in Pneumococcal Pneumonia

Global Data Mining of Resistant Pneumococcal Sepsis Transcriptomes Identifies Conserved Stress Modules Linking Virulence, Metabolism, and Vulnerability Axes Multiscale Mathematical Modeling of Influenza-Pneumococcal Superinfection to Define Optimal Timing for Flagellin Host-Directed Therapy.

Deep Learning Integration of Innate Lymphoid Cell States, Lung Transcriptomic Programs, and Cross-Vivarium Microbiota Predicts Interleukin-22-Dependent Disease Severity in Pneumococcal Pneumonia

Multi-Strain Machine Learning Identifies Transcriptomic Combination Vulnerabilities in Multidrug-Resistant Streptococcus Pneumoniae.

According to the ISSPD website, these four research titles were authored by Prihatini alongside Rifaldy Fajar and Rini Winarti. The latter two used the institution name AI-Biomedicine Research Group, IMCDS-Biomed Research Foundation, Jakarta, while Rini Winarti listed the Department of Biology at Yogyakarta State University. The research titles were presented as posters at the conference.

Beyond the research content, the presenter’s identity was also suspicious. In a session scheduled under the name ‘Riana Dwi Kurniawati’ with the research title ‘Urban Heat Islands and Ageing Lung Vulnerability: Mapping Pneumococcal Pneumonia Risk and Climate-Exposed Older Adult Hotspots in LMIC Megacities’, a woman presented and introduced herself using that name.

However, ten minutes into a different session, the same woman changed her hijab and presented under the name Dimas Fajar Prasetyo for the research titled ‘AI-Fused Satellite Climate, Urban Heat and PCV Uptake to Prioritise Pneumococcal Booster Strategies for Frail Older Adults in LMIC Megacities’. According to Dwi, the woman introduced herself as ‘Dimas’.

Following her investigation, Dwi discovered that the presenter was actually Prihatini, not Riana. Notably, Prihatini’s name does not appear in the author list of the presented research.