TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A total of 301 senior professors at the University of Indonesia (UI) are submitting an amicus curiae, or friend of the court brief, to the Supreme Court regarding a pending cassation case. This submission contests the judicial cancellation of ethical sanctions against the dissertation mentors of Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia.
This collective action comes amid a polemic over a State Administrative Court (PTUN) ruling that annulled the internal ethical sanctions UI had imposed on the dissertation's mentors. That decision was subsequently appealed and is undergoing cassation review at the Supreme Court, where the academics are urging judges to prioritize substantive academic ethical violations over mere administrative technicalities.
In their amicus curiae document, the professors warn that the PTUN decision risks setting a precedent that weakens a university's independent authority to uphold academic integrity through internal mechanisms.
"It is hoped that in the cassation hearing at the Supreme Court, the judges will consider the academic ethical violations that occurred, which are actually the most fundamental aspect of this case," amicus curiae team coordinator Sulistyowati Irianto stated at the UI campus on Thursday, June 4, 2026.
The senior professors argue that overriding university sanctions through the judiciary blurs the boundaries of authority between higher education institutions and the legal system, mapping out uncharted territory for handling academic misconduct. To anchor their argument, the document quotes a 1957 speech delivered at UI by Indonesia’s first Vice President, Mohammad Hatta, who emphasized that a university's core duty is to forge characters that cherish truth.
"The PTUN judges' decision also undermines the reason for the existence of the university and the scientific community," Sulistyowati added.
They maintain that universities have a different purpose than political or business entities, as they are tasked with producing knowledge and upholding scholarly standards. Therefore, a campus’s jurisdiction over its own academic norms and ethics must be respected. "Autonomy is the natural right of the university. The institution's authority to uphold academic values, norms, and integrity must be respected," she said.
Academic Misconduct
The controversy stems from an internal UI investigation by the University Council to the UI Rector on January 10, 2025. In that official correspondence, the Council detailed four violations uncovered within Bahlil Lahadalia’s doctoral study process.
The findings cited dishonesty during research data collection, a graduation timeline deemed accelerated without academic requirements, and conflicts of interest between Bahlil and two of his mentors, identified by the initials CW and AS.
Based on these findings, UI handed down ethical sanctions to the mentors, a move that was challenged in the administrative court. The PTUN partially granted CW's appeal and fully sustained AS's petition, overturning UI's disciplinary measures, a judicial outcome the senior professors heavily criticize, pointing to irregularities such as the inclusion of irrelevant parties in the court documents and questionable witness testimonies.
Therefore, the senior professors are calling on the Supreme Court to look beyond administrative frameworks and formal procedural boundaries to confront the core substance of the academic ethical breaches.
Within the amicus curiae, the professors assert that a doctoral degree is the highest academic achievement, earned only through a prolonged and rigorous intellectual journey. They argue that doctoral education can never be treated as a mere checklist of administrative formalities. "Obtaining a doctoral degree is not a hit-and-run affair, especially when pursued with a bulldozer mentality."
According to the UI scholars, excessive external intervention in campus affairs threatens to erode the foundations of national higher education. They caution that universities must never degenerate into compliant bodies that bow to political pressure or economic leverage. Through this amicus curiae, they express hope that the Supreme Court will restore the credibility of internal academic discipline and defend the autonomy of higher education institutions in enforcing scientific standards.
Meanwhile, Bahlil Lahadalia has yet to issue a response regarding the ethical ruling or the subsequent legal maneuvers. On several previous occasions, he simply maintained that he would defer to the ongoing process, characterizing the friction as an internal campus matter. "I respect whatever decision is made by UI because I am a student, and I will read and see what needs to be done," Bahlil stated back in March 2025.
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