Graduation ceremonies are usually attended by the graduates’ friends and family. But there was a different set of guests at the graduation ceremony for South Tangerang-based Yayasan Aldiana Nusantara (YAN): ministry officials.
A task force from the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education (Menristek Dikti) busted the institute’s graduation ceremony on Saturday because it was found to be handing out fake diplomas to hundreds of students who never even attended a single class.
“When we investigated [the institute], it turned out there was no learning [done by these students]. So [the institute] was selling diplomas,” said Supriadi Rustad, head of the ministry’s Higher Education Institutes Performance Inspectors team, as quoted by Tempo yesterday.
There were 738 supposedly legit graduates who were registered to receive their diplomas at the ceremony after completing their degrees at the three schools operating under YAN. However, somehow the total number of graduates on the day shot up to 978.
After some investigation, it turned out that YAN was carrying out a fake diploma scheme under the guise of online courses for students all around the country. Unlike genuine online courses, YAN’s distance learning ‘students’ didn’t even have to click their way through a single course; all they had to do was pay Rp 15 million to attend the graduation ceremony in Tangerang and receive their diplomas.
Supriadi said YAN’s founder, Alimudin Al Murtala, conceded that the graduation ceremony was illegal and the diplomas were phony. The institute had been carrying out this illegal practice for three years.
Alimudin promised to refund the scam victims’ money.
Menristek Dikti Minister M Nasir temporarily suspended all activities at YAN. They are required to stop the illegal practice of selling fake diplomas, as well as bringing their institution up to speed by hiring more professors and fixing their overall education system. If they fail to comply with the requirements by December, then the ministry will hit them with further sanctions, which would ultimately lead to a closure of the institution.
