UGM Chancellor Confirms President Jokowi's Certificate is Original Graduate of the Faculty of Forestry

UGM Chancellor Prof. Ova Emilia gave a press statement regarding the authenticity of President Jokowi's diploma at the UGM Campus, Sleman, Tuesday 11 October. (ANTARA/Luqman Hakim)

JAKARTA - Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Chancellor Prof. Ova Emilia confirms that President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi) diploma is genuine. He confirmed that Jokowi graduated from the UGM Faculty of Forestry.

"Based on the data and information we have, and it is well documented, we believe in the authenticity of Ir. Joko Widodo's bachelor's degree (S1) and he is indeed a graduate of the Faculty of Forestry, Gadjah Mada University", said Ova Emilia during a press conference at the UGM Campus, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region (DIY), Tuesday, October 11.

President Jokowi, said Ova, was listed as an alumnus of the S1 Study Program at the Faculty of Forestry, Gadjah Mada University batch in 1980.

"It was declared that UGM graduated in 1985 according to the provisions and proof of graduation based on the documents we have", she said.

According to Ova, she delivered the clarification as a form of UGM's responsibility as an institution providing higher education to its alumni.

"It's our responsibility to provide clarification to the public. So that means it's not because the person in question is the number one person, it's not that. For example, some alumni want to be verified, so we will also carry out verification steps according to the proportions", he added.

Meanwhile, regarding the format of writing on Jokowi's diploma, which is considered different from the diplomas of other UGM alumni, Ova explained that at that time there was no uniform format and still used fine writing.

"Using smooth writing and it seems that at that time there was no uniformity, for example, now at the Directorate General of Higher Education (Dikti), there is a special format so that sometimes there are differences between one another. But we still have archival documents from it", she explained.

The Dean of the UGM Faculty of Forestry, Sigit Sunarta, also confirmed that Jokowi's diploma was in the format of the UGM Faculty of Forestry at that time.

"We have tried to look at the format of the diploma received by Mr. Jokowi and his classmate who graduated at the same time, exactly the format of the Faculty of Forestry with smooth handwriting. For other faculties, we do not know for sure, but at the Faculty of Forestry, the uniform is like that", said Sigit.

Previously, based on an Antara report, the issue of President Jokowi's diploma emerged after Bambang Tri Mulyono, the author of the book "Jokowi Under Cover" filed a lawsuit against Jokowi on suspicion of a fake diploma to the Central Jakarta District Court on October 3, 2022.

In the lawsuit registered with case number:592/Pdt.G/2022/PN Jkt.Pst, the plaintiff wants the Central Jakarta District Court to state that Jokowi has carried out PMH in the form of making false statements and/or providing fake documents in the form of a diploma (proof of graduation). Elementary School (SD), Junior High School (SMP), and Senior High School (SMA) on behalf of Joko Widodo.

The defendants in this lawsuit are President Jokowi (Defendant I), the General Elections Commission/KPU (Defendant II), the People's Consultative Assembly/MPR (Defendant III), and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology/Kemenristekdikti (Defendant IV).