Thesis Ghostwriting Phenomenon on the Rise, Expert Calls It a Reflection of Higher Education System Failures

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The phenomenon of thesis ghostwriting services increasingly prevalent among students is not merely an issue of individual morality, but a reflection of the higher education system’s failure to accommodate the diversity of students’ abilities and needs.

Education observer Ina Liem views this practice as an accumulation of various long-standing structural problems, from mismatches in the learning system to weak implementation of policies at the university level.

“The thesis ghostwriting phenomenon is actually not a new issue, but now its scale is larger and more blatant. This is an accumulation of several failures in the design of our education system,” said Ina when contacted by Kompas.com on Tuesday (7/4/2026).

According to her, one root of the problem lies in the mismatch between students’ characteristics and uniform academic demands.

“The problem is that our higher education system is still one-directional. Everyone is treated as if they must be a conceptor. In the end, everyone is forced to write a thesis,” said Ina.

However, she continued, for students with practical inclinations, a thesis is not only difficult but also often irrelevant to their learning style.

Ina also highlighted the lack of strong differentiation in higher education institutions in Indonesia. In several countries, there is a clear separation between research-based universities and practice-based institutions.

According to Ina, Indonesia actually already has vocational and polytechnic pathways, but in terms of perception, they are still viewed differently.

“But in terms of social perception, they are still considered ‘second class’. As a result, everyone flocks to the academic pathway, which indeed requires a research-based thesis,” she said.

However, according to Ina, the government through policies in the era of the previous Education Minister has opened opportunities for flexibility in final assignments.

“The thesis is no longer the only graduation requirement; it can be in the form of projects, products, or other works that are more relevant to the students’ field and profile. That means, in terms of policy, the door has been opened,” said Ina.

However, she assesses that the implementation of this policy has not run optimally in many campuses. Many campuses still cling to the old pattern, as if a thesis is the only graduation standard.

“On the other hand, not all institutions are ready to design quality alternative final assignments, and not a few are not yet brave enough to step out of the comfort zone of a system that has been running for decades,” explained Ina.

“In conditions like this, some of them end up looking for shortcuts. And that’s where thesis ghostwriters find their market,” said Ina.

Behind the prevalence of this practice, there are individuals who see economic opportunities from students’ needs.

One of them is Haikal (not his real name), a 30-year-old man from East Jakarta who has been offering thesis ghostwriting services since 2025.

Haikal admitted that he initially started the service for economic reasons.

His business started gradually and is still running to this day. In the last year, he claims to have handled around 10 clients, excluding requests for other coursework.

According to Haikal, his clients come from various backgrounds, although the majority are final-year students.

“Mostly final-year students, but it doesn’t rule out those who are also working,” he said.

In his practice, the services offered are quite flexible, from completing partial chapters to the entire thesis.

“It depends on the request; some from start to finish, others just chapters 4 and 5,” said Haikal.