UNY Confirms Three Alumni Names Linked to Fake Research Scandal, But...
Yogyakarta State University (UNY) is investigating alumni names widely reported to be involved in a suspected fake research scandal at the International Society of Pneumonia and Pneumococcal Diseases (ISSPD) conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, held from 17-21 May 2026. Currently, three names have been implicated in the case.
‘I am aware of three names that we checked and found to match our alumni,’ said UNY’s Academic Vice-Rector, Professor Nur Hidayanto, when contacted by journalists on Thursday (28 May 2026).
Despite the name similarities, the university has yet to confirm whether all three are alumni. He stated that the institution is still verifying to determine if they are indeed graduates.
‘We are still clarifying our alumni to confirm whether these three are indeed graduates, as social media information must be thoroughly checked,’ he stressed.
As of today, Nur has not received any updates regarding their status.
‘We are monitoring data gathered by colleagues, but there are no new updates,’ he added.
He mentioned having seen a clarification from one of the individuals allegedly involved in the fake research scandal on social media.
‘However, the clarification appears to have been taken down, and the individual has not confirmed whether they are indeed a UNY graduate,’ he added.
He affirmed efforts to expedite the investigation to resolve the matter promptly.
‘We aim to complete the investigation as quickly as possible to clarify all aspects,’ he stressed.
‘If the three names are confirmed as UNY alumni and violations are found, the university will follow the ministry’s guidance,’ he said.
‘Moving forward, we will adhere to the ministry’s directives should any issues be confirmed. Prior to that, discussions will be held with university leadership and relevant parties,’ he concluded.
Previously, rumours of a fraud scandal at an international conference went viral on social media. Indonesian researchers are suspected of involvement, with two of them reportedly UNY alumni.
The claims were made in an Instagram post by @w.o.d.d., stating a fraud scandal at the International Symposium on Pneumococci and Pneumoccal Diseases (ISPPD) held in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 17-21 May 2026.
‘Several Indonesians were found to have orchestrated fraud in front of thousands of global scientists. This was uncovered at the ISPPD 2026 scientific conference, a prestigious event for pneumonia experts worldwide held in Copenhagen this year,’ the post stated, as reported by detikJogja on 26 May 2026.
The post detailed the fraudulent methods used by the Indonesian researchers. First, one perpetrator falsified their identity, changing names during presentations along with hijabs and name tags. The research presented was allegedly fabricated.
‘It was created using AI and/or fabricated data. The research appeared impressive but never existed. Data was generated by AI, with images and text also fabricated,’ the account stated.
‘Through this, the perpetrators received travel grants to go abroad ’for free’. The real cost is borne by Indonesia, whose reputation is damaged in the eyes of global scientists,’ it added.
On X (@RidhaIntifadha), data on the organised research fraud perpetrators uncovered at the Denmark conference was shared, listing four names, two of whom are said to be UNY graduates.