Kaohsiung City Councilor Jane Lee (李眉蓁), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) candidate for the Kaohsiung mayoral by-election, yesterday said that she would give up her master’s degree from National Sun Yat-sen University following allegations that she plagiarized her thesis.
She said she would also ask the Kaohsiung City Election Commission to remove the degree from the column in the election bulletin where candidates’ education backgrounds are listed.
The by-election is scheduled for Aug. 15 and the commission said that it was nearly finished printing the election bulletins.
Photo: CNA
However, the Kaohsiung-based university said that the Degree Conferral Act (學位授予法) has no regulations covering voluntary relinquishment of a degree.
Lee’s case is being reviewed by outside experts, it said, adding that if it is found that she breached academic ethics, her degree might be revoked.
Her thesis adviser might also be punished if a dereliction of duty is determined, the university said.
Photo: CNA
The KMT said in a statement that it supported Lee in “bravely facing” her mistake and giving up her degree.
“All political workers should examine themselves by the same standard,” the party said.
“As an academic, I cannot accept academic plagiarism,” KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) wrote on Facebook.
“This standard has never changed,” whether I was an educator, a lawmaker or the leader of a political party, he said.
“As a political worker, integrity is a standard that cannot be compromised,” he said.
National Dong Hwa University Vice President Chu Chin-peng (朱景鵬), who was a member of the oral exam committee that examined Lee’s thesis, yesterday said that he would cooperate with any investigation.
The two other members of the committee were Lin Teh-chang (林德昌), former director of Sun Yat-sen’s Institute of China and Asia-Pacific Studies, and Chao Su-cheng (趙甦成), former director of the Chinese Social and Economic Research Institute, which is affiliated to National Chengchi University’s Institute of International Relations.
Meanwhile, Huang Po-hsiang (黃柏翔), a sociology student at Sun Yat-sen, launched a petition to have the school rescind Lee’s degree if the allegations of plagiarism are found to be true.
From 6pm on Wednesday to 9am yesterday, more than 500 students and alumni at the school reportedly signed the petition.
The incident has severely damaged the reputation of the university, Huang added.
Lee on Wednesday had said she would only explain the matter if President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) also clarifies controversy surrounding her doctoral thesis.
Asked for comment on the matter at an event in Taipei yesterday, Tsai said the authenticity of her thesis and doctoral degree have been verified and that her alma mater, the London School of Economics and Political Science, had also offered an explanation.
Tsai said that Lee should face the problem and clearly explain the matter.
Democratic Progressive Party spokeswoman Yen Juo-fang (顏若芳) said that Lee was trying to smear Tsai with groundless insinuations to shift the media focus away from herself.
“Why is the KMT’s mayoral candidate stooping to such a level?” Yen asked.
Additional reporting by Huang Hsu-lei, Ko Yu-hao, Jason Pan and CNA
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
ONE LAST TALK: While Xi said that Taiwan was a ‘red line,’ Biden, in what is likely his last meeting with Xi as president, called for an end to China’s military activity around Taiwan China’s military intimidation and economic coercion against Taiwan are the main causes of tensions that are destabilizing peace in the Taiwan Strait, Taipei said yesterday while thanking US President Joe Biden for expressing Washington’s firm stance of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met on Saturday for their third meeting and their first talks in seven months on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Lima, Peru. It was likely Biden’s last meeting as president with Xi. During their conversation, Biden reiterated the US’ opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” from either
Taiwan would participate in the 2026 APEC summit to be hosted by China after Beijing promised it would ensure the personal safety of attendees, Taiwanese national security sources said yesterday. The APEC Leaders’ Machu Picchu Declaration announced yesterday said that China would host the APEC summit in 2026. Beijing proposed hosting the summit shortly before this year’s gathering began on Friday, a national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Many APEC members expressed concerns about China hosting the event and said that prior communication over the decision was insufficient, the official said. Taiwan brought up concerns about legal “guidelines” China announced in
MEET AND GREET: The White House, which called the interaction ‘just a handshake,’ did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Biden planned to visit Taiwan’s envoy to the APEC summit, Lin Hsin-i (林信義), on Friday invited US President Joe Biden to visit Taiwan. During the APEC Leaders’ Informal Dialogue, Lin, who represented President William Lai (賴清德) at the summit, spoke with Biden and expressed gratitude to the outgoing US president for his contribution to improving bilateral ties between Taipei and Washington over the past four years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Lin and Biden exchanged views during the conversation, with Lin extending an invitation to Biden to visit Taiwan, it said. Biden is to step down in January next year, when US president-elect Donald Trump is