Indonesia
President Prabowo Subianto inspects the implementation of the free nutritious meal program on June 2, 2026, at State Junior High School (SMPN) 111 Jakarta. (Courtesy of/The Palace's Press Bureau (BPMI))
A paper promoting President Prabowo Subianto’s free nutritious meals program for a Nobel Peace Prize nomination has become embroiled in an academic integrity scandal after its lead author allegedly fabricated her professorship and listed researchers as coauthors without their consent.The 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” was posted in March on Social Science Research Network (SSRN), an open-access platform used by scholars to share early-stage research and preprints.
It listed Prabowo as its first author, followed by nine researchers affiliated with the Home Ministry, an international publisher and universities in Malaysia and Indonesia.
The paper has drawn widespread attention, particularly online, over questions about its intent and authenticity. Some have pointed to several posters that appear to have been generated by artificial intelligence, as well as passages resembling prompts for generative AI tools.
