On Thursday, July 31, 2025, Gaza Carumna Iskadrenda, S.H., M.H., officially earned her doctoral degree after successfully defending her dissertation titled “Reconstructing the Classification of Vote Buying from an Election-Related Criminal Offense to a Corruption-Related Criminal Offense” at the Faculty of Law, Gadjah Mada University. The defense, which took place in Room 3.1.1 of Building 3, marked an extraordinary academic achievement, with an A grade recognizing her significant contribution to the development of election law and the fight against corruption.
In her research, Gaza advocates for a shift in the legal perspective on the practice of vote buying—from merely an administrative violation in elections to a serious form of corruption. This proposal underscores the importance of strengthening democratic integrity and upholding electoral justice.
Gaza’s academic contribution also reflects tangible support for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 16 on peace, justice, and strong institutions. By advocating for the strengthening of election regulations, he is helping to build a cleaner and more accountable political system. Furthermore, his achievement supports SDG Goal 4 on quality education by demonstrating how higher education can foster critical thinking that influences public policy.
With this achievement, Gaza officially became the 275th doctoral graduate from the UGM Faculty of Law and the 6,606th doctoral graduate from Gadjah Mada University overall.
