Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives Commission X, Hetifah Sjaifudian, has expressed support for the decision made by the University of Indonesia (UI) regarding the dissertation of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia. In this decision, UI emphasized the need for guidance for various parties involved, including Bahlil himself as a student, to enhance the quality of his doctoral dissertation.
“I highly appreciate and fully support the steps taken by the University of Indonesia in upholding academic integrity in a transparent and accountable manner. The subsequent guidance provided by the university must ensure fairness, in line with academic standards and university ethics,” stated Hetifah in a written statement on Friday, March 7, 2025.
According to Hetifah, the University of Indonesia, particularly the School of Strategic and Global Studies (SKSG), should protect students’ academic rights by offering clear and fair guidance for dissertation improvements. She emphasized that the correction process should be based on existing academic rules without any actions that disadvantage the students.
The Golkar legislator urged UI to evaluate its academic supervision system to prevent similar cases from occurring in the future. Additionally, she called for the university to ensure that the guidance provided to all involved parties is conducted objectively and in line with the principles of academic justice.
Mechanisms for monitoring academic programs and research are crucial for maintaining academic quality, Hetifah noted. She expressed the readiness of the House of Representatives Commission X to support policies that strengthen academic ethics in higher education through the evaluation of relevant regulations, aiming to enhance the academic standards of higher education in Indonesia. This support and oversight are crucial to ensure the protection of students’ rights and the preservation of academic credibility.
### Expert Recommendations for Academic Integrity
Prior to this, UI’s Rector, Heri Hermansyah, stated that the guidance sanctions were decided through the consensus of four UI bodies: the Grand Council of Professors, the Board of Trustees, the University Senate, and the Rectorate. Alongside Bahlil, UI imposed guidance sanctions on his dissertation supervisors, co-supervisors, and the head of the SKSG program.
The decision to provide guidance was made in accordance with the level of academic and ethical violations committed, ensuring an objective and proportionate approach, as emphasized by Heri during a press conference at the Faculty of Medicine, UI, in Salemba, Jakarta, on Friday, March 7, 2025.
UI’s Director of Public Relations, Media, Government, and International Affairs, Arie Afriansyah, elaborated that one form of guidance for Bahlil includes the obligation to revise his dissertation according to the provisions and substance determined by his supervisors.
### Examination of Bahlil’s Dissertation
Bahlil was declared a graduate of the UI SKSG Doctoral Program on October 16, 2024. His dissertation, titled “Policies, Institutions, and Governance of Sustainable and Equitable Nickel Downstreaming in Indonesia,” drew public attention due to his completion of the doctoral program in approximately 20 months since enrolling as a student in February 2023.
Following a thorough review, the UI Grand Council of Professors identified four violations in Bahlil’s dissertation. Upon these findings, the council initially recommended the cancellation of Bahlil’s dissertation.
