Oxford slammed for not naming Indonesian researchers in rare flower find

SCMP | Dec. 3, 2025, 9 p.m. | Original
The recent rediscovery of Rafflesia hasseltii, an extremely rare giant parasitic red flower, in a forest in Indonesia ’s West Sumatra has sparked a backlash after Oxford University’s initial social media post credited only its scientist, leaving out the local researchers who made the search possible.

Analysts say the uproar reflects long-standing grievances over how Western researchers and their Global South counterparts are recognised in joint projects, and the lingering legacy of colonialism in academia.

A joint expedition involving Indonesian flower hunter Septian Andriki, a team from Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) led by Joko Witono, Oxford biologist Chris Thorogood and local guide Iswandi led to the encounter with the enormous white-speckled bloom on November 17.

Thorogood’s social media video capturing Septian kneeling and weeping with joy beside the freshly discovered flower quickly went viral, drawing international attention.

“I witnessed the blooming process. After 13 years of searching, a 20-hour journey and a three-hour hike, it bloomed right before my eyes. I was moved. Chris said I was over-hallucinating and Iswandi said I was possessed,” Septian told This Week in Asia .

The buzz over the rare flower quickly turned sour, however, when Oxford University credited only Thorogood and ignored his Indonesian colleagues in its social media post on November 19.

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