Minister Investigates Indonesian Research Fraud Claims: Suspects Not Active Academics
Social media has been abuzz with discussions over allegations of research fraud by Indonesian citizens at the International Symposium on Pneumococci and Pneumococcal Diseases (ISPPD) in Denmark. Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Brian Yuliarto has responded to the claims.
‘The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology is paying attention to information regarding alleged violations of academic integrity and research ethics involving parties using affiliations with Indonesian institutions,’ Yuliarto said when contacted on Wednesday (27 May 2026).
He stated that his ministry is conducting further investigation into the alleged fabricated research by Indonesians, seeking to establish facts and the individuals’ status at the forum.
‘We are continuing to coordinate and investigate with relevant parties to verify the facts, including the status of the individuals involved, the nature of their affiliations, and their connection to Indonesian higher education institutions or research bodies,’ he added.
‘However, we must prioritise caution. All parties must be given space for clarification, and every allegation must be objectively verified based on evidence and established mechanisms within the academic and research environment,’ he said.
Yuliarto revealed that the Indonesians in question do not appear to be active lecturers or researchers. He said the ministry remains concerned as the case could impact perceptions of the national research ecosystem.
‘Based on initial information, those implicated in the case do not appear to be active lecturers or researchers at Indonesian universities. Nevertheless, the matter remains a concern as it could affect broader perceptions of the national research ecosystem,’ he said.
‘The country has mechanisms for research integrity evaluation through universities, ethics committees, LPPM [Research and Community Service Institutes], academic quality assurance systems, and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology and BRIN within their respective authorities,’ he explained.
The international scientific conference ISPPD 2026 took place from 17-21 May 2026. A group of Indonesian researchers, including Prihantini, Rifaldy Fajar, and Rini Winarti, presented several impressive research findings.
However, allegations surfaced that the presented research was fabricated and never actually conducted. The perpetrators were also suspected of falsifying identities. This was disclosed by researcher Ida Bagus Mandhara Brasika on his Threads account.
‘Several Indonesians were caught orchestrating fraud in front of thousands of global scientists. This came to light at the ISPPD 2026 scientific conference, a prestigious event for pneumonia experts worldwide held this year in Copenhagen, Denmark,’ Mandhara Brasika wrote on Threads on Wednesday (27 May).
‘One of the perpetrators falsified their identity. The modus operandi involved changing names during presentations, using a different hijab and name tag. Even more outrageous… not only the identity was fake, but the research itself was fabricated! Created with AI and/or data fabrication. The research appeared highly impressive, but it never existed. Data was AI-generated, images and text were fabricated,’ he added.