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JULY/AUG 2025 Dissecting Indonesia's Longstanding Problem: Forged Education and Employment Credentials By Hana Anandira I n 2015, a nationwide investigation into counterfeit academic certificates issued by multiple educational institutions in Indonesia attracted local and international press coverage. That June, the National Police announced they were investigating an unusually high volume of complaints involving bribery and fraudulent use of short-course certificates in the production of fake diplomas, identifying the practice as a widespread trade throughout the Southeast Asian nation. Names associated with high-level electoral seats and university appointments also came under scrutiny for allegedly using fake degrees, prompting the government to launch sweeping raids on unlicensed universities and printing shops, as well as probes into the academic credentials of lawmakers and public officials across the country. More than a dozen Indonesian universities were confirmed to have facilitated academic certificate forgery, and approximately 234 campuses were shut down that October for various academic malpractices, including the dissemination of counterfeit documents. The controversies over counterfeit diplomas and the role of unaccredited institutions shed light on the systemic nature of the problem, further eroding public trust in Indonesia's educational and political establishments. Corrective Measures The 2015 exposure resulted in a series of preventative efforts by government officials, including a landmark regulation with included enforcing disciplinary sanctions against civil servants with fake degrees or academic certificates, an order enacted that July. The corrective measures also featured the introduction of the National Diploma Numbering (PIN) in 2018, a numbering system combining program codes, graduation years, graduate sequences, and randomized check digits. This initiative was coupled with SIVIL, an electronic diploma verification system integrated with the Indonesian higher education database (PDDIKTI), allowing various parties— including potential employers—to verify diploma authenticity. The system also notes typical physical characteristics of original diplomas that can be reviewed to ensure authenticity of original documents that may be submitted. In early 2025, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education announced the imminent launch of a new digital certificate system, the e-ijazah initiative, to significantly reduce diploma counterfeiting. The government plans for digital certificates IN THIS ISSUE Forged Education and Employment Credentials 1 U.S. Federal Preemption of State AI Regulation? 6 Better Know a Provider 8 The Risks of Over-Screening 10 Meet the PBSA Team 12 PBSA and New Target Partnership 18 PBSA Accredited Companies 20 Mission, Comments, and Article Submission 23 Except where otherwise indicated, articles are copyright © by PBSA 2025. All rights reserved. JOURNAL Continued on page 3 PAGE 1 More than a dozen Indonesian universities were confirmed to have facilitated academic certificate forgery.

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