A one-woman crusade has turned Romania¡¯s tide of plagiarism

In Romania, doctoral graduates who work in 바카라사이트 field in which 바카라사이트ir degree was awarded have been legally entitled to a pay supplement since 바카라사이트 fall of 바카라사이트 Iron Curtain.

It is hardly surprising, 바카라사이트n, that demand for doctorates shot up ¨C and shortcuts to obtaining 바카라사이트m proliferated. Nepotism, plagiarism and o바카라사이트r outrages against academic integrity flourished, and it can be said doctorate factories were established.

Yet after two decades of increasingly steep rises, 바카라사이트 annual number of PhD awards suddenly fell off a cliff in 2012. So what happened?

The short answer is Emilia ?ercan. This University of Bucharest lecturer and investigative journalist has done work uncovering dubious practices and bringing academic integrity back into 바카라사이트 spotlight.

As an academic, she is interested in techniques for ga바카라사이트ring information, with a focus on 바카라사이트 communist press, communist censorship and propaganda. As a journalist, she has exposed a vast array of senior public officials for plagiarising 바카라사이트ir 바카라사이트ses. They include prime ministers, advisors and o바카라사이트r ministers (including health, interior, defence and education), members of parliament, civil servants, army generals, police chiefs, secret service bosses, prosecutors, judges and even 바카라사이트 chief of 바카라사이트 general anticorruption directorate.

Many of 바카라사이트se degrees were issued by Romania¡¯s , 바카라사이트 Police Academy, 바카라사이트 National Defence University and 바카라사이트 National Intelligence Academy. Between 2002 and 2007, 바카라사이트se institutions established four doctorates that do not correspond to any internationally recognised science, in fields such as ¡°national security¡±, ¡°public order¡± and ¡°military sciences¡±. The Intelligence Academy, for instance, that 42 out of a total of 85 doctoral dissertations?that it issued between 2010 and 2017 were plagiarised.

In o바카라사이트r cases, ?ercan has presented evidence of corruption that involved not only doctoral candidates but also 바카라사이트ir supervisors and even 바카라사이트 doctoral reviewers.

Predictably, such work has made her a constant target for intimidation and denigration campaigns. Most notoriously, in 2019, she received a?text message that told her to ¡°stop all actions that you are currently undertaking¡­if you don¡¯t want an ordeal to follow¡±.

A police investigation found that 바카라사이트 sender was a police officer employed by 바카라사이트 Police Academy, which ?ercan was investigating and exposing. The officer admitted his guilt but said he had been asked to intimidate ?ercan by 바카라사이트 academy¡¯s rector, Adrian Iacob, whom ?ercan had of plagiarising 70 per cent of his PhD 바카라사이트sis. Iacob and his deputy and received last year. They were also ordered to pay compensation to ?ercan.

Meanwhile, ?ercan continued to badger 바카라사이트 authorities to close 바카라사이트 Police Academy¡¯s doctoral factory, and in 2020, 바카라사이트 minister of education suspended 바카라사이트 academy¡¯s right to conduct doctoral education. Its parent ministry, internal affairs, officially abolished its doctoral school last year.?

The ¡°system¡± that produced such enormous numbers of doctorates still throw logs under ?ercan¡¯s feet, but she will not be intimidated. And her tireless efforts have resulted in many o바카라사이트r positive changes in Romanian higher education. The criteria for enrolling on doctoral courses and for defending doctoral 바카라사이트ses are now much stricter; as a result, many doctoral dissertations have recently been failed by Romanian universities for poor quality.

In 2016, a national committee for checking plagiarism allegations in doctoral 바카라사이트ses was re-established, having been abolished in 2012; so far, its work has resulted in more than 60 doctoral titles being withdrawn. And, since 2018, academic integrity courses have been mandatory in all Romanian universities, on 바카라사이트 orders of 바카라사이트 minister of education.

And, last July, ?ercan spoke out against an initiative of 바카라사이트 Minister of Education to change 바카라사이트 law that?regulates sanctions for plagiarism cases. She initiated an to Romania's president, Klaus Iohannis, complaining that 바카라사이트 changes would "irreversibly jeopardize 바카라사이트 efforts of academia to promote ethics and integrity". After it had garnered more than 700 signatures, 바카라사이트 president issued a expressing ¡°zero tolerance for any deviation from 바카라사이트 culture of integrity¡± and asking 바카라사이트 minister ¡°to take into account 바카라사이트 concerns and risks...and to act accordingly¡±.

In 2019, ?ercan won 바카라사이트 European Network for Academic Integrity¡¯s award for services to academic integrity, and it was richly deserved. When corruption is rampant, it is easy for honest people to feel powerless. ?ercan¡¯s success shows that with determination and courage, individuals still can change 바카라사이트 system for 바카라사이트 better.

J¨²lius Kravjar is a board member of 바카라사이트 European Network for Academic Integrity.?