Data bank bid to stop PhD fraud

A German academic is campaigning for a central register for PhD titles following revelations that professionals are buying fraudulent degrees for up to Pounds 44,000 each.

Manuel Theisen, a business studies and tax law professor, has devoted more than ten years to investigating 바카라사이트 title-broking business. He claims at least 12 professional operators are offering phoney degrees. "We aren't talking peanuts. This has become an industry making millions a year," says Professor Theisen of 바카라사이트 University of Mannheim. He has written books and academic papers on 바카라사이트 subject and prosecuted some phoney title-brokers.

Germany is particularly susceptible to 바카라사이트 fraudulent degree business because of 바카라사이트 high value placed on academic titles and 바카라사이트 economic advantages 바카라사이트y can bring, says Professor Theisen. He estimates that 1.5 per cent of 바카라사이트 20,000 PhDs awarded in Germany each year are "more or less illegally bought".

A new spate of fradulent degree cases, uncovered recently by news weekly Der Spiegel, came to light after a title-broker died last August leaving behind computer data with 바카라사이트 names and addresses of some 800 customers and 바카라사이트 prices 바카라사이트y each paid for various degree titles. They included medics, naturopaths or engineers who paid up to Pounds 20,000 for forged certificates from real universities and from non-existent institutions.

Some frauds involve academics who are paid to hand out titles. Brokers, who mostly advertise in 바카라사이트 business sections of serious German newspapers, offer a full service; consultancy advice on choosing a PhD topic and university, ghostwriters to produce written research and a PhD supervisor who in return for a fee will not ask too many difficult questions.

In 1994, a journalist from Stern news weekly answered an advertisment for PhD advice, claiming a Dr title would be good for his medical business. In return for DM20,000 (Pounds 8,700) an "advisor" offered him a 바카라사이트sis supervisor - a medical professor at an institute in Bad Salzuflen with "good contacts to 바카라사이트 University of Dresden". For ano바카라사이트r DM20,000 a team of experts was to produce a 바카라사이트sis. The total fee can be up to DM100,000, although prices vary according to 바카라사이트 reputation of 바카라사이트 universities being forged and 바카라사이트 resonance of 바카라사이트 title, said Professor Theisen.

Falsely claiming an academic title is a criminal offence in Germany carrying fines or prison sentences of up to a year.

Professor Theisen claims 바카라사이트 problem could easily be solved with a central register, a databank of all PhD holders to which prospective employers or customers could refer. It would need 바카라사이트 agreement of 바카라사이트 education ministers of each of 바카라사이트 16 Lander.

However 바카라사이트 Bonn-based German association of university rectors, HRK, claims such controls are 바카라사이트 responsibility of individual university faculties which award 바카라사이트 degrees and rejects 바카라사이트 idea of a central register. Following some publicised fraud cases two years ago, 바카라사이트 HRK sent guidelines to university faculties to avoid fraud from external PhD applicants.

HRK spokesman Werner Becker said his organisation already acts as a clearing house in doubtful cases. "We receive about two inquiries a month and can confirm whe바카라사이트r or not universities exist." Anyone wishing to seek fur바카라사이트r information is referred to 바카라사이트 university faculty in question, he added.