Independent Report – The 7th President of Indonesia, Jokowi, recently shared his feelings regarding the ongoing controversy about his academic diploma. He spoke openly during the 45th anniversary reunion of the 1980 batch from the Faculty of Forestry at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Yogyakarta, on Saturday, July 26, 2025.
Warm Gathering of Jokowi and Alumni Amid Diploma Controversy at ‘Spirit 80’ Event
The reunion, themed “Spirit 80: Togetherness and Usefulness,” took place at the Integrated Forest Farming Learning Center auditorium. Jokowi greeted 67 of his former classmates dressed in blue shirts, coming together despite the ongoing diploma controversy surrounding him.
During his brief speech, Jokowi immediately addressed the accusations about his diploma being fake. He recalled that after the claims about a forged diploma, the accusations shifted to his thesis being counterfeit. He mentioned that his thesis supervisor was Ir Dr. Bambang Sumitro, and the examiners were Professor Burhanuddin and Sofyan Warsito. Jokowi emphasized that his thesis was properly examined by these academic staff.
When the claims about his diploma’s authenticity could not be proven, the focus moved to his community service program, known as KKN, allegedly being fictitious. Jokowi explained that the accusers even visited the location of his KKN in Ketoyan Village, Wonosegoro District, Boyolali Regency. He reminded everyone that this was all about events that happened 45 years ago. He entered university in 1980 and graduated in 1985. Several of his classmates also remembered their time in the KKN. Including those from the Faculty of Law, Biology, and Geodesy Engineering.
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Refuting Claims About the Community Service (KKN) Program
Jokowi questioned the logic behind these accusations, saying, “How can everything be fake?” He firmly stated that his diploma is genuine and that both the Rector of UGM and the Dean of the Faculty of Forestry have confirmed his enrollment and graduation. He argued that with official statements from the institution that issued the diploma, the controversy should have ended long ago.
However, Jokowi pointed out that this issue is not really about whether the diploma is authentic or not. According to him, the problem is political. He believes the accusations are used as a political tool to cause disruption, despite the facts being clear.
At the end of his speech, Jokowi shared that he actually wanted to stay longer at the reunion until Sunday, July 27, 2025. But due to his health condition, which has not fully recovered after three months of recuperation, he had to leave earlier. Despite this, he forced himself to attend the event because if he did not show up, rumors and false stories would spread even more. Jokowi stressed that he did not want his absence to create unnecessary speculation among his old classmates who gathered at the reunion.
He described his speech as a form of “sharing” or “opening up” to old friends. Which he believed was natural given the long history and close bond they have. Jokowi fondly recalled their shared experiences visiting various places together such as Nusantara Plywood, Gunung Kerinci, Wanagama. And also the Saradan forest in Ngawi. They also made visits to conservation efforts in Pangandaran, Ujung Kulon, Cilacap, and Batu Raden.
Sharing Memories and Strengthening Friendships
The reunion itself was organized by the alumni association called Spirit 80, which was proposed about a year ago. Arif Pramana, the head of the Spirit 80 alumni, explained that they clearly remembered all the Forestry Faculty students who started in 1980, including Jokowi. Back then, there were only 88 students, consisting of 80 men and 8 women, and many were slim and young. Arif also recalled Jokowi’s longer hair during their college days.
The purpose of the alumni forum is purely to strengthen friendships and maintain good relations, not for any other interests. Initially, the group was simply called the “80 batch,” but Jokowi suggested adding the word “Spirit,” making it “Spirit 80.”
This reunion event reflects the long-lasting camaraderie among the Forestry Faculty alumni and provides a platform for Jokowi to openly address. And also clear up the diploma controversy in a personal and direct way.
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