President's Name Misused in Academic Paper on SSRN, Minister Explains

Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Brian Yuliarto has confirmed that his ministry is deepening its investigation into a case involving the misuse of President Prabowo Subianto’s name, along with several other prominent figures, in an academic paper published on the SSRN platform.

Speaking in Jakarta on Monday, the minister stated that the investigation is ongoing as the findings are still recent. “I just received a report this morning from the investigative team, which consists of the Inspectorate General and several lecturers,” he said.

Based on the initial report, the minister revealed that the lead author had unilaterally included the names of important figures in the work without following proper licensing procedures or legitimate academic ethics. “We have received a report that the lead author did indeed list the names of several co-authors. Whether in a book, a repository, or a journal, the individual concerned admitted to listing the names without obtaining permission. This is what we are now confirming with all the authors,” he explained.

He further elaborated that the author has already acknowledged that almost all of the individuals named were unaware of their inclusion, let alone gave their approval for it.