Joko Widodo university diploma controversy
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Controversies regarding the authenticity of the university diploma owned by Joko Widodo (Jokowi), the 7th president of Indonesia, began to intensify since 2022 following the last election he participated in. The document claims that he graduated from the Faculty of Forestry at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) on 5 November 1985.[1] The Indonesian government have regularly dismissed the accusation of a "fake diploma", and Jokowi later threatened to report those questioning its authenticity.[2][3] UGM has also insisted that the original diploma is being held by Jokowi.[1]
This controversy began with photographs of Joko Widodo that differ from his real appearance. In the photos on his diploma, graduation records, and the attachments submitted for his registration as Mayor of Surakarta, his ears appear aligned differently, whereas in real life his ears protrude backward [4], making them noticeably different from the original appearance, that causes the invitation of conspiracy theories.
On 22 May 2025, after comparing Joko Widodo' university diploma with other diplomas and UGM's university record, Criminal Investigation Agency declared his university diploma authentic.[5][6]
Some sources claim that the controversy revolving around Jokowi's diploma began as early as 2014, when he first participated in the election.[7]
On 17 June 2015, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives Commission X, Ridwan Hisyam, requested to Jokowi to reveal his diplomas to the public, in order to end the practice of producing fake diplomas. He made this statement after Ministry of Research and Technology previously declared International Management Institution of Indonesia (LMII) as an illegal higher educational institution.[8]
On 21 January 2019, Umar Kholid Harahap was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Agency, after claiming that junior (SMP) and senior high school (SMA) diplomas owned by Jokowi were fake. He was also accused for "spreading fake news".[9] His claim had been reposted by Twitter users. Headmaster of SMA Negeri 06 Surakarta, Agung Wijayanto, confirmed that Jokowi was one of the first batch of students in 1976, following its foundation on 26 November 1975 as a high school in prepared construction (SMPP), and his diploma was indeed authentic.[10]
In June 2020, Navias Tanjung posted on Facebook, a collage consisting of the images of UGM diplomas owned by Bambang Nurcahyo and Joko Widodo, noticing the differences of dean's signatures.[11] In September that year, another Facebook user posted the same collage, claiming that the Jokowi's diploma was fake, while attacking his policy on cleric registration.[12]
In October 2022, Bambang Tri Mulyono together with Sugi Nur Rahardja unsuccessfully challenged its authenticity at Central Jakarta District Court, causing them to be accused of "spreading fake news and hate speech" and sentenced to 6 years.[13] In December 2022, chairman of LESPASS Legal Aid Institute, Ahmad Khozinudin, requested to prosecutors to invite Jokowi and reveal his own diploma, and claiming it as "the only authentic method".[14]
The controversy resurfaced on 11 March 2025, when Rismon Hasiholan Sianipar, a Yamaguchi University alumni, a former lecturer at the University of Mataram and a forensic analyst expert, uploaded a video on his YouTube channel and published a book named Uncovering the Jokowi’s Fake Diploma: Forensic Analysis of Document Manipulation. He judged that the diploma uses Times New Roman typeface, which did not exist on computers until 1990s.[2] Rismon, however, retracted all of his previous statements and pulling his books and apologized to everyone including Joko Widodo family for stirring the issue citing "errors" and "being manipulated by political groups" and asked everyone who believed such ideas to renounce it fully.[15][16]