Netizens Urge University of Pennsylvania to Revoke Erina Gudono’s Masters Scholarship

JAKARTA – Netizens are urging the University of Pennsylvania to revoke the Masters scholarship Erina Gudono Kaesang Pangarep’s wife after the controversy involving her surfaced on social media. This pressure was triggered by Erina’s attitude which was considered to have no empathy and flaunted her wealth.

Where previously, Erina Gudono through his personal Instagram account was caught showing off bread worth Rp400 thousand and shopping for a stroller worth tens of millions. He did this in the middle of a demonstration by the public rejecting the revision of the Pilkada Law (RUU) in the DPR.

“Mas Kaesang: Rp. 400 thousand bread is really expensive,” wrote Erina quoted from the Instagram account @erinagudono, Sunday (25/8/2024).

The demand was further expanded by the circulation of email templates on the X platform, which made it easy for users to convey protests directly to the University of Pennsylvania. One of them was created by the X account @deeydnr.

Photo/Instagram Erina Gudono

In the template, the University of Pennsylvania is asked to reconsider the decision to accept and scholarship President Joko Widodo’s (Jokowi) son-in-law. This is considering his family background and political affiliations which are considered controversial.

“Regarding the Inquiry Regarding the Acceptance Decision of Erina Gudono. Dear (Name of Lecturer). I hope this message reaches you in good time. I am writing to address a concerning issue regarding the acceptance of Erina Gudono into the Master of Science program at the School of Social Policy and Practice (SP2) at the University of Pennsylvania,” the email read as quoted on Sunday (8/25/2024).

“It has come to our attention that Erina Gudono’s family has historical ties to a regime in Indonesia known for its authoritarian rule, which has significantly impacted various segments of society, especially the disadvantaged. Given the current political climate in Indonesia, which is undergoing significant change, the acceptance of someone with such a background into a program dedicated to social justice and policy raises prudent considerations,” he continued.