Jakarta. Allegations of research fraud involving several Indonesian participants at a major international medical conference in Denmark have triggered a government investigation and questions over academic integrity in Indonesia.

The controversy emerged during the 2026 International Symposium on Pneumococci and Pneumococcal Diseases (ISPPD), held in Copenhagen from May 17 to 21, after Indonesian epidemiologist Wa Ode Dwi Daningrat publicly described a series of irregularities she observed during the event.

The symposium drew more than 1,300 participants from 86 countries this year. But instead of highlighting Indonesia’s scientific contributions, the conference became the center of allegations involving suspected identity manipulation, questionable research data and the possible misuse of artificial intelligence-generated content.

Dwi, who is pursuing doctoral studies at Oxford University and attended the conference as part of an Oxford research team, said suspicions first emerged because Indonesia’s pneumonia research community is relatively small and researchers are generally familiar with one another through publications and international academic networks.

According to Dwi, one participant identified as Prihantini appeared to avoid interactions with other Indonesian delegates and introduced herself using different names to different people.

Concerns deepened after Dwi noticed irregularities in several datasets presented in the participant’s research materials.

Dwi said she and several colleagues later attended multiple presentation sessions involving the same individual.

In one session, a presenter scheduled under the name “Riana Dwi Kurniawati” delivered a study titled “Urban Heat Islands and Ageing Lung Vulnerability: Mapping Pneumococcal Pneumonia Risk and Climate-Exposed Older Adult Hotspots in LMIC Megacities” and introduced herself as “Riana.”

Roughly 10 minutes later, Dwi said she saw the same woman appear in another presentation session after changing into a red headscarf and displaying an identification badge bearing the name “Dimas Fajar Prasetyo.”

The presenter then delivered a separate study titled “AI-Fused Satellite Climate, Urban Heat and PCV Uptake to Prioritise Pneumococcal Booster Strategies for Frail Older Adults in LMIC Megacities” and introduced herself as “Dimas,” according to Dwi.

Prihantini’s name reportedly did not appear among the listed authors of either study. However, Dwi said Prihantini submitted five separate research titles to the conference, which were displayed in poster format.

Additional concerns were raised over manuscripts claiming research locations in countries including Peru, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, South Sudan, Kenya, Nepal and northern India without listing local collaborators or providing clear explanations of ethical approval procedures.

Several Indonesian names, including Prihantini, Rifaldy Fajar and Rini Winarti, became the focus of scrutiny after conference participants questioned the validity of the studies they presented.

Separately, Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Brian Yuliarto said the government was coordinating with relevant institutions to verify the facts and determine the affiliations of those involved.

“We are currently continuing to coordinate and investigate the matter with the relevant parties to verify the facts, including the individuals’ status, their affiliations, and their connections to higher education institutions or research institutions in Indonesia,” Brian said.

Meanwhile, Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) issued a statement regarding allegations involving Prihantini, identified as a graduate of the university’s master’s program in mathematics.

ITB said the conference materials presented by Prihantini were unrelated to her academic work at the university. The institution said her master’s thesis focused on analytical studies of water waves caused by landslides on sloping beaches.

The university described the alleged actions as the responsibility of an individual rather than the institution and said it would respect any legal process arising from the case.

ITB also reaffirmed its commitment to academic integrity and said it does not tolerate plagiarism, data fabrication, result manipulation or other forms of scientific misconduct.

The allegations have also prompted concern among lawmakers.

Ferdiansyah, a member of Indonesia’s House of Representatives Commission X overseeing education affairs, said the case reflected weaknesses in Indonesia’s academic monitoring system and mounting pressure on researchers to pursue publication credits.

“The case is still being examined. What needs attention is why this phenomenon could happen in the first place, including publication credit demands, relatively weak monitoring systems, and the lack of strong social sanctions,” he said on Thursday.

Ferdiansyah warned that scientific misconduct could damage Indonesia’s international academic reputation and undermine the credibility of legitimate researchers.

“The most disadvantaged parties are honest researchers and credible scientific organizers. If this develops into a larger snowball effect, Indonesia’s education system could continuously be perceived as dishonest,” he said.

He also raised concerns about the possible misuse of state funds if any of the research had been financed through government scholarships or publicly funded academic programs.

The lawmaker proposed stronger academic qualification checks, stricter sanctions for proven misconduct, and the creation of a blacklist for journals or conference organizers suspected of predatory practices.