Inside Indonesia’s growing market for fake Middle Eastern doctorates

For generations, Indonesian Muslims have looked to the Middle East as the highest destination for Islamic learning. A degree from Cairo, Medina or Riyadh has never been simply an academic qualification. It has represented years of mastering Arabic, studying under respected scholars and earning recognition from institutions whose reputations were built over centuries. That reputation has become a commodity. A recent interview on the Indonesian podcast TimTeng with a teacher at the Indonesian School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and a master’s graduate of King Saud University, offers a revealing window into this emerging phenomenon. Across Indonesia, a growing number of religious figures have begun displaying honorary doctorates and professorships supposedly issued by institutions bearing Middle Eastern names. Some claim affiliations […]