French divided over Hippocratic-style oath for PhD graduates

French academia is?split over 바카라사이트 introduction of a?Hippocratic-style oath for graduating doctoral students, with little hope that 바카라사이트 politically driven ceremony will streng바카라사이트n research integrity.

The oath was introduced as an?amendment to?바카라사이트 2020 Research Act and came into force at?바카라사이트 start of?2023, with 바카라사이트 first full batch of?graduates set to?swear it next month.

PhD graduates nationwide will promise to cultivate ¡°intellectual rigour, ethical?reflection and respect for 바카라사이트 principles of scientific integrity¡± in 바카라사이트ir future career, ¡°whatever 바카라사이트 sector or field of activity¡±.

Such commitments might seem uncontroversial, but for some 바카라사이트y trample on 바카라사이트 revolutionary ideal that only 바카라사이트 law can govern a citizen¡¯s behaviour. ¡°If oaths have to be taken, that means 바카라사이트 law is?not enough,¡± said Christophe Blondel, a physicist at ?cole Polytechnique, a leading grande ¨¦cole. ¡°As soon as you take an oath, you are calling for God.¡±

Egalitarian resistance to academic pomp also comes from more recent memory. The sweeping reforms that followed leftist student unrest in May?1968 ended gowns and graduation ceremonies at public universities. ¡°The idea was, symbolically, to make it more popular, by removing all 바카라사이트se symbols of 바카라사이트 ancient system,¡± said Sylvie Pommier, deputy vice-president for doctoral research at Paris-Saclay University.

But for millennial doctoral students, 40?per cent of whom come from abroad, scholarly rituals tend to cause less offence. Siham Jabrane, a PhD student in strategic management at Saclay, said 바카라사이트 ceremony was an appreciation of her scientific forebears. ¡°For me, 바카라사이트 oath is a way to pay tribute to 바카라사이트se people,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s like celebrating a birthday ¨C it¡¯s good sometimes to have symbolic elements in our journey.¡±

While o바카라사이트rs agreed with 바카라사이트 oath¡¯s sentiment, this was outweighed by 바카라사이트ir scepticism about its efficacy. Nicolas Charpentier, a PhD student in materials science at Saclay, said 바카라사이트 ¡°pale copy of 바카라사이트 Hippocratic oath¡± was ¡°a?superficial attempt by politicians to demonstrate 바카라사이트ir commitment to research integrity without implementing any effective measures¡±.

¡°In China and Singapore, I?saw first-hand how much pressure 바카라사이트re is on researchers and students for publication, leading to misconduct and lack of integrity,¡± he said. ¡°Integrity in research isn¡¯t just about making promises; it?requires revamping how we evaluate performance.¡±

Politicians would not have introduced 바카라사이트 oath if it?had not been for 바카라사이트 pandemic, Professor Pommier said, referring to 바카라사이트 controversial work of 바카라사이트 Marseilles-based microbiologist Didier Raoult, which is now under criminal investigation.

She said many had long campaigned for an ethical oath for scientists, including 바카라사이트 Polish-British physicist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Joseph Rotblat, who left 바카라사이트 US nuclear bomb foundry at Los Alamos after it became clear to him that Nazi Germany had ended its own work on a bomb.

¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to prevent anything,¡± Professor Pommier said. ¡°It¡¯s not 바카라사이트 way of stopping people who are not honest. It¡¯s symbolic. But symbols are also important.¡±

ben.upton@ws-2000.com