Surabaya University Suspended for Issuing Fake Diplomas

Jakarta. A university in Surabaya has had its license suspended for issuing fraudulent diplomas after the government discovered it has 10 times more graduates than the number of students admitted each year.

The Ministry for Research, Technology and Higher Learning inspected the Artha Bodhi Iswara Economics Institute on Saturday and discovered that the campus “had committed many violations,” the ministry's higher learning evaluation team chief Supriadi Rustad said.

“For its management graduate degree program, [the institute] admitted 50 students a year, but the number of people graduating reached 500,” Supriadi told Tempo.co news portal on Monday.

The school joins four other universities and educational institutions whose license have been suspended by the ministry. The campuses are barred from admitting new students and their entire curriculum and management are being evaluated.

Supriadi said the schools have been told to conduct a management overhaul if they want to resume operations.

“Up to this point we haven't seen any commitment from these campuses to reform,” he said. “As long as there is no commitment, we will not [lift the suspension].”

Higher Education Minister Mohammad Nasir has since May launched a campaign to crack down the widespread trade in counterfeit university diplomas in Indonesia.

The diplomas are either from non-existing universities or issued by licensed universities without conducting actual academic studies and procedures.

The minister have also reported their discovery to the National Police, urging law enforcers to criminally charge those behind the fake diplomas.