Lin Chih-chien at Center of Plagiarism Scandal 藍揭露林智堅論文涉抄襲 籲主動退選

Taoyuan City mayor candidate Lin Chih-chien is at the center of a plagiarism scandal. The master's thesis Lin submitted to Chung Hua University in July 2008 contains content, including typos, identical to a Hsinchu Science Park Administration report issued one month earlier. Lin says the accusations are "old news" and he can stand up to scrutiny.

Large swathes of Taoyuan City mayor candidate Lin Chih-chien's doctoral thesis and this Hsinchu Science Park Administration report are completely identical. Taipei City Councilor Wang Hung-wei says Lin violated academic ethics and should withdraw from the race. The Kuomintang, meanwhile, is calling on the science park to launch an investigation.

Wang Hung-wei, Taipei City Councilor (KMT): “It's virtually word-for-word -- even the typos! Did Lin Chih-chien violate academic ethics by plagiarizing his doctoral thesis? Is this academic fraud? Chung Hua University needs to issue a statement. Under these circumstances, Lin's PhD should be revoked.”

Tseng Ming-chung, Legislator (KMT): “(Lin) infringed on the intellectual property of Hsinchu Science Park. The National Science Council should help the park take legal action and demand compensation.”

This isn't the first time Lin has been accused of plagiarism. In 2016, Lin's National Taiwan University thesis for the Graduate Institute of National Development was called into question as well. Lin's thesis advisor at Chung Hua University, Ho Li-hsing, however, says Lin can take credit for his thesis as long as he contributed something to it. Taoyuan City Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan, meanwhile, says Lin was the main contributor to the paper.

Ho Li-hsing, Professor, Chung Hua University: “If he contributed anything to this paper, like any content or the conclusion, it's OK (for him to put his name on it).”

Cheng Wen-tsan, Taoyuan City Mayor: “This is hitting below the belt. Don't turn the election into a slander competition.”

Lin says the accusations are "old news" and he can stand up to scrutiny. Chung Hua University says it will form a review committee to investigate if it receives a report of plagiarism, but no such reports have been received to date.

秀出竹科管理局委辦案的期末報告，對照民進黨桃園市長參選人林智堅的論文，內容大幅度雷同，國民黨台北市議員參選人王鴻薇痛批林智堅違反學術倫理，應主動宣布退選，國民黨團也呼籲竹科啟動調查。

國民黨台北市議員王鴻薇表示：「幾乎呢，幾乎就原文照抄，最扯的是錯字還一模一樣，林智堅的論文是否有抄襲違背學術倫理，是否有學術詐欺的問題，中華大學一定要做回應，按照這樣的狀況，林智堅應該被追回他的碩士學位。」

國民黨立委曾銘宗說：「本案涉及竹科的智慧財產權，請國科會督導竹科提出告訴建請賠償。」

無獨有偶，林智堅2016年在台大國發所發表的論文也被質疑涉嫌抄襲，不過林智堅中華大學的論文指導教授賀力行，則力挺林智堅，桃園市長鄭文燦則強調，林智堅是主要的資料提供者。

中華大學教授賀力行表示：「這樣子做出來的文章，他如果有貢獻心力，所謂的內容跟結論都是OK的。」

桃園市長鄭文燦說：「選舉的起手式喔，要把選舉變成抹黑比賽，我想這樣子就太LOW了。」

林智堅表示已是舊聞，絕對禁得起考驗，中華大學則說，只要收到檢舉，將成立審議委員會，進行審議調查，不過目前尚未收到正式檢舉文件。