Jakarta. The Higher Education, Science and Technology Ministry has launched an investigation into an academic paper uploaded to the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) after finding that President Prabowo Subianto and several other public figures were listed as co-authors without their knowledge or consent.

The ministry said on Friday that an investigative team, formed on Tuesday, is examining alleged violations of academic publishing ethics surrounding the paper, which also contained references suggesting a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.

Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Brian Yuliarto said the team has coordinated with relevant parties, collected documents and sought clarification from those involved. While the investigation is ongoing, the ministry disclosed several preliminary findings.

"The team has coordinated with various parties, gathered information and documents, and requested clarification from those concerned. Although the investigation is still ongoing, several initial findings can now be shared with the public," Brian said.

According to the ministry, its preliminary investigation found that Prabowo and the other individuals named in the paper had neither authorized nor participated in its preparation or submission.

The ministry also said the paper's lead author, Dian Damayanti of Borobudur University, is neither a full professor nor affiliated as a lecturer at any university. Investigators found that she had only recently completed her doctoral dissertation defense.

The university where Dian earned the doctoral degree has confirmed that the individual has issued a written statement and apologized over the incident, the ministry added.

The ministry also sought to clarify misconceptions about SSRN, describing it as a public preprint repository where anyone can upload draft academic manuscripts. It emphasized that papers hosted on SSRN have not necessarily undergone peer review, independent verification, or endorsement by any institution, including the Nobel Committee.

The ministry added that SSRN allows users to list multiple authors during submission, but adding someone's name without permission constitutes a breach of academic publication ethics.

It also rejected claims that the use of the word "Nomination" in a paper's title indicates official Nobel recognition. The Nobel Prize nomination process follows strict procedures, and the identities of nominees and nominators remain confidential for 50 years under the Nobel Foundation's rules.

The ministry said it will continue its investigation in an objective and professional manner and will impose sanctions if serious academic ethics violations are confirmed. The final findings will be announced publicly once the inquiry is complete.

The controversy centers on a 69-page paper titled "Nobel Peace Prize 2026 Free Meal Program by The National Nutrition Agency Building Smart Business for Food Security Industry and Indonesia's Economic Growth," which was uploaded to SSRN on March 31, 2026.

The paper argues that Indonesia's flagship Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program — a signature initiative of President Prabowo's administration aimed at providing free meals to schoolchildren and other beneficiaries — contributes not only to improving nutrition but also to strengthening food security and supporting economic growth.

The document listed Prabowo as the first author, identifying him as President of the Republic of Indonesia, alongside several academics and individuals from various institutions. The paper drew widespread attention after claims circulated online that it represented an official nomination for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, prompting the government to investigate the authenticity of the authorship and the publication.

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