http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20130125120016403 GERMANY Plagiarism proceeding against minister splits academia Michael Gardner 26 January 2013 Issue No:256 Allegations of plagiarism in the doctoral thesis of Germany’s Education Minister Annette Schavan have sparked a dispute among academics, universities and science organisations. Meanwhile, undaunted by considerable pressure from various sides, the University of Düsseldorf has initiated formal proceedings against former student Schavan. Christian Democrat Annette Schavan wrote her doctoral thesis at the University of Düsseldorf 32 years ago. Allegations of plagiarism arose last May, and the thesis was reviewed by Jewish studies scholar Stephan Rohrbacher, who concluded that wilful intent to deceive could be detected. Nevertheless, Rohrbacher did stress that Schavan’s case could not be compared to that of her Christian Social Democrat colleague Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, who was stripped of his doctoral title and had to step down as defence minister in 2011. Schavan denied the allegations. One of her most outspoken supporters was Jan-Hendrik Olbertz, president of Humboldt University in Berlin. Christian Democrat Olbertz, who was formerly education minister of the state of Saxony-Anhalt, was particularly outraged over results of the review being leaked to the press, and claimed that Rohrbacher himself should have prevented this from happening. He described the event as “disgusting” and said that attempts were being made to damage a successful higher education minister’s reputation. Olbertz is now calling for a second, independent review, despite the University of Düsseldorf having commissioned Bonn law expert Klaus F Gärditz to assess its preliminary proceedings. Gärditz confirmed that no procedural errors had been made and that the review performed did not give any cause for complaint. Only a few days before the university officially initiated formal proceedings, the Allianz der Wissenschaftsorganisationen , comprising Germany’s chief higher education and research bodies, issued a joint statement amounting to a harsh criticism of the University of Düsseldorf’s action. The weighty alliance comprises the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina, the German Academic Exchange Service, the German Research Foundation, the Fraunhofer Society, the Helmholtz Association, the Rectors’ Conference, the Leibniz Society, the Max Planck Society and the Science Council. It argued that withdrawing a doctoral thesis required procedural elements such as the principle of multi-assessor verification, assessors, evaluators and decision-makers acting separately, and expertise in the relevant subject. And it demanded that “all those playing a responsible role in the proceedings should act in accordance with established standards, also in ongoing proceedings”. The University of Düsseldorf maintained that the statement was an attempt to pressurise it. The rules referred to by the alliance, it argued, do not apply to formal procedures but merely to “internal procedures not tied to a legal form that are intended to settle issues of misconduct”. Regarding the requirement to have separate assessors, evaluators and decision-makers, the university stressed that this is not stipulated in official regulations on doctorates. Referring to the issue of multi-assessor verification, the university said decisions were taken by the 15 members of the faculty committee, and not by a single person. Politicians have responded cautiously to the matter. Not surprisingly Schavan, who is Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel’s closest ally, can reckon with her party’s support. Christian Democrat Secretary General Hermann Gröhe has professed his unwavering trust in the minister, while opposition Green Party whip Jürgen Trittin said that innocence had to be assumed as long as proceedings were under way. However, Trittin added that if Schavan were stripped of her doctoral title, she would be “untenable” as minister of education and research. Bernhard Kempen, president of the Deutscher Hochschulverband , which represents higher education lecturers, said the union fully trusted the University of Düsseldorf’s ability to conduct legally sound and orderly proceedings. But he was highly critical of the intervention by the alliance of science organisations, arguing that “leading academic representatives are doing higher education and research a bad turn by creating the embarrassing impression that politically expedient results can be encouraged by speaking out for them in public”. Andreas Keller, head of the higher education and research board of the teachers’ and scientists’ union Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft , echoed that sentiment. Keller said that if the University of Düsseldorf did not confirm the allegations of plagiarism, this would create the impression that the alliance had been putting pressure on it. He believes that in future, “as soon as decisions are made concerning the alliance, for example, issues such as university funding or money for research, the question will always arise whether this is because a helping hand was lent at the right time”. Disclaimer All reader responses posted on this site are those of the reader ONLY and NOT those of University World News or Higher Education Web Publishing, their associated trademarks, websites and services. 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如果你google艾德-韦泽，你会发现铺天盖地的中国高官接见这哥们的新闻，包括刘云山这样重量级的，标题都是XXX会见英国文化、媒体和体育部部长艾德-韦泽，就在9月29号。可是我记得前不久温总理访问英国时陪同的英国文化大臣叫亨特，这哥们娶了个中国美女，还闹出一个公帑学中文的小风波。这两哥们显然不是一个人，一个文化，怎么冒出两个高官？部长和大臣不同？于是做了一下research，发现了一点小问题。在这个网页上 http://www.culture.gov.uk/about_us/our_ministers/default.aspx 亨特是Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport，可以简称为文化大臣，可是艾德是Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries，这个即使是初中生，也会把它翻译为文化、媒体和创意工业部长吧？不能翻译成文化、媒体和创意工业部 部长。在这个网页上可以看到体育是一个叫Hugh Robertson （Minister for Sport and the Olympics）的哥们分管的。再深入一步，发现这个艾德工作的部门叫Department for Culture Media and Sport，喔，这个可以翻译为文化、媒体和体育部。应该说艾德只是英国文化、媒体和体育部的部长之一，这个部最大的头是亨特，相当于咱们国家的国务委员兼正部长？其它三位哥们分工不同，相当于副部长？所以直接把艾德-韦泽称呼为英国文化、媒体和体育部部长不准确啊，特别是参照中国人所习惯的理解，实在是个大误会，委屈亨特国务委员和其它两位副部长了。 建议新华社纠正。
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