Pan-blue Urges to Deal with Issues of Faking Academic Credentials 論文風波 藍營籲重視政治人物洗學歷問題

The Democratic Progressive Party's Taoyuan City mayoral candidate Lin Chih-chien has become embroiled in a thesis plagiarism scandal. The Kuomintang urged Chung Hua University to form a committee as soon as possible to revoke Lin's thesis if needed. The university's chairperson happens to be DPP spokesperson Lee Yen-hui, so the KMT also expressed concerns about the credibility of subsequent paper reviews.

The Democratic Progressive Party's Taoyuan City mayoral candidate Lin Chih-chien is embroiled in a thesis plagiarism scandal. The Kuomintang pointed out that Chen Ming-tong, Lin's advising professor for his master's degree at National Taiwan University's Graduate Institute of National Development, has advised 173 master's degree candidates over 30 years, including many important figures in the DPP. However, only five of the theses, or two percent, are available as a full text digitally.

Lai Shyh-bao, Legislator (KMT): “What people are concerned about is politicians faking academic credentials. The theses for the master's degree program at the Graduate Institute of National Development should all be publicly available, right? So why is the proportion that is publicly available so low? It's because they're afraid they'll be scrutinized.”

Lin's NTU thesis has come under suspicion, and parts of the thesis he wrote for his master's degree at Chung Hua University have been found to be virtually identical to a report commissioned by the Hsinchu Science Park Bureau. The KMT urged the university to form a committee to revoke Lin's degree if needed. It also expressed concerns about the credibility of follow-up paper reviews, as the university's chairperson happens to be DPP spokesperson Lee Yen-hui. Scholars have the same concerns, and believe political parties and the military should withdraw from campuses.

Kuei Hung-cheng, Adjunct Associate Professor, Shih Hsin University: “Political parties should withdraw from campuses. In this case, you're the chairperson of the school while also serving as the DPP's spokesperson. This makes it really easy for doubts to be generated.”

In response, the university said it will immediately launch an investigation when it receives the written report. Under its regulations, a review committee comprising outside professors will conduct an independent investigation and its board of directors and school authorities are not allowed to interfere. Meanwhile, Lee accused the KMT of political manipulation and a malicious smear campaign. She claimed the investigation will be conducted by an independent group and it will be dealt with fully and impartially to restore public trust.

林智堅深陷論文抄襲風波，引發關注，國民黨青年部前主任陳冠安質疑，林智堅在台大國發所的碩士指導教授陳明通，近30年來共指導173位碩博士，不乏綠營政要，卻只有5位開放電子全文，占比只有2%。

國民黨立委賴士葆表示：「人家質疑的是政治人物洗學歷的問題，所以對於特別是國發所的碩士專班、在職班應該全部公布，你就給人家看嘛，現在為什麼公布比例這麼低，就是怕人家檢驗啊。」

除了台大國發所的碩士論文遭質疑，林智堅先前在中華大學撰寫的碩士論文，也被披露和竹科委辦期末報告大幅雷同，國民黨團呼籲中華大學盡速組成委員會，必要時撤銷林智堅的碩士學位，同時直指民進黨發言人李妍慧身兼中華大學董事長，恐影響後續論文審查的公信力，而學者桂宏誠也提出相同質疑，呼籲黨政軍應退出校園。

世新大學兼任副教授桂宏誠說：「政黨要退出校園，你今天當然是在學校裡面當一個董事長的話，又是民進黨的發言人，就很容易讓人有這方面的質疑。」

面對質疑，中華大學副校長兼發言人解鴻年表示，學校一旦收到檢舉函，將立即啟動調查，依規定以校外教授組成審議委員會獨立調查，董事會和校方無法干涉，李妍慧則批評，這種政治操作是惡意抹黑、潑糞，未來調查會有獨立小組運作，絕對秉公處理以昭公信。