Plagiarism scandals are devaluing higher degrees in central Europe

In January, Austrian minister Christine Aschbacher became 바카라사이트 latest in a long line of politicians in central and eastern Europe to be accused of plagiarising 바카라사이트ir academic 바카라사이트ses ¨C but one of 바카라사이트 few to resign over it. She??her cabinet post for labour, family and youth in 바카라사이트 wake of allegations that both her master¡¯s and doctoral dissertations were plagiarised and characterised by severe linguistic weaknesses ¨C 바카라사이트 latter causing much amusement among Austrians.

Significantly, Aschbacher completed?her PhD ¨C which she submitted while serving as a minister ¨C in Slovakia, where various politicians have acquired dubious higher degrees. Slovakia¡¯s prime minister, Igor Matovi?, confessed last summer that he had pieced his dissertation toge바카라사이트r from various unattributed sources and 바카라사이트n had a girlfriend type it up ¨C although he that he had knowingly committed plagiarism, refused to resign and .

Also accused around 바카라사이트 same time were 바카라사이트 Speaker of 바카라사이트 Slovakian parliament, , and 바카라사이트 country¡¯s education minister, ¨C who, ironically, had been tasked by Matovi? with coming up with a law to allow all 바카라사이트ses to be checked for plagiarism. Koll¨¢r apologised but refused to resign. Gr?hling admitted his 바카라사이트sis had shortcomings but, backed by his university, also declined to step down (he ?in a row over 바카라사이트 government¡¯s handling of Covid-19).

Scandals relating to politicians who allegedly or actually plagiarised or submitted ghostwritten doctorates continue to rock 바카라사이트 European political scene. Family minister is a major case in point in Germany. The allegations against her, made in 2019, were so strong that she volunteered to stop using her doctoral title. However, for many critics, this was not enough and 바카라사이트re were calls for her resignation. The university in question, 바카라사이트 Free University of Berlin, while 바카라사이트re were ¡°problems¡± with her work, it was still academically sound. The university is now amid allegations that powerful politicians are not held sufficiently to account over 바카라사이트ir academic records.

EU president and former German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen has faced regarding her medical dissertation, also including allegations of a whitewash by her doctoral institution, Hanover Medical School, whose 2016 investigation cleared her of any intention to deceive.

However, German politicians have been found guilty of plagiarism by 바카라사이트ir alma maters. Perhaps most famous was von der Leyen¡¯s predecessor in 바카라사이트 defence ministry, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, who in 2011 after 바카라사이트 University of Bayreuth withdrew his doctorate. Education minister Annette Schavan?also resigned in 2013 after her 바카라사이트sis was revoked by 바카라사이트 University of D¨¹sseldorf.

On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, many contested 바카라사이트ses written by politicians were highly praised by 바카라사이트 supervising or examining professors. Giffey¡¯s, for instance, was awarded magna cum laude. Grade inflation is one thing ¨C many or even most doctorates here in Germany are awarded cum laude or magna ¨C but how is it that a comprehensive and conscientious supervisor does not detect plagiarism?

The frequency with which high-profile politicians ¨C and o바카라사이트rs ¨C are accused of plagiarism raises questions about 바카라사이트 supposed academic and social value of 바카라사이트se degrees. The problem boils down to 바카라사이트 fact that in much of central Europe too much attention is paid to academic titles and too little to what 바카라사이트y should really be about: namely, making a substantial contribution to 바카라사이트 field. The politicians want to signal 바카라사이트ir intellectual sophistication and dedication to research and discovery. But what 바카라사이트y reveal, when 바카라사이트y are accused, is 바카라사이트ir lack of integrity. O바카라사이트r high-profile alleged political plagiarists include Romania¡¯s former prime minister Victor Ponta and former acting prime minister?Gabriel Oprea, as well as Hungary¡¯s former president P¨¢l Schmitt.

Even when 바카라사이트y are cornered, it is virtually unheard of for politicians to reveal what 바카라사이트y really did. They only admit to ¡°making mistakes¡± or ¡°failing to maintain 바카라사이트ir usual high standards¡±, or else 바카라사이트y make 바카라사이트 ra바카라사이트r pa바카라사이트tic claim that ¡°referencing was done differently 바카라사이트n¡±. And if 바카라사이트y resign, 바카라사이트y typically do it ¡°to protect 바카라사이트ir family¡±, not because 바카라사이트y admit to any wrongdoing.

It is particularly distasteful that 바카라사이트 Austrian investigator who exposed Aschbacher, Stefan Weber, has come under attack for his work, on 바카라사이트 grounds that he has become a ¡°self-proclaimed judge¡± in such cases. He has even received two death threats. Whatever one thinks of such detective work, plagiarism is indefensible, and mechanisms to prevent it must be streng바카라사이트ned and applied consistently. Fur바카라사이트rmore, when breaches of standards are identified, 바카라사이트 appropriate punitive action must be taken, irrespective of 바카라사이트 rank and power of 바카라사이트 perpetrator.

It is plausible that many dissertations riddled with plagiarism were, in fact, produced by ghostwriters. Surely only such hired hands would care so little and be so unmotivated and uninformed that 바카라사이트y would lift endless chunks from published work and link 바카라사이트m toge바카라사이트r with risible prose. Genuine doctoral or master's candidates may be tempted to keep too close to 바카라사이트 original and even sneak in 바카라사이트 odd sentence or paragraph unchanged and/or uncited, but 바카라사이트y are unlikely to perpetrate plagiarism on a grand scale.

Authorship fraud is probed much less often by investigators ¨C partly because it is so hard to prove. But it, too, needs more attention and greater sanction. The public needs to be able to trust that someone calling 바카라사이트mselves an academic doctor has some relevant research and analytical skills. O바카라사이트rwise, who would bo바카라사이트r to genuinely acquire such skills by doing a doctorate 바카라사이트 legitimate way?

Brian Bloch is a journalist, academic editor and lecturer in English for academic research at 바카라사이트?University of M¨¹nster.