Romanian education minister resigns over plagiarism allegations
BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romanian Education Minister Sorin Simpeanu resigned late Thursday under official pressure over allegations that he had plagiarized a university class he was teaching.
He denied the allegations and said he took over the course with the consent of the other author.
Plagiarism is rampant among parliamentarians, former ministers and magistrates in European Union (EU) member states, undermining trust in public institutions.
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Prime Minister Nicolae Chuka himself has been accused of plagiarizing parts of his doctoral dissertation on military science, an allegation he denies.
Former university rector Cimpeanu, who has served as minister of education three times since 2014, allegedly plagiarized 13 chapters of a course he taught at the University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, according to an investigation by news website PressOne.
Simpeanu was the first minister of education to be appointed under a cabinet led by former leftist Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who returned his doctorate after allegations of plagiarism were confirmed against him.
Since then, policymakers have chipped away at academia’s ability to tackle plagiarism.
Under Cimpeanu, the ministry has worked on a package of changes to the education law. One of his provisions is that he has a three-year statute of limitations on plagiarism charges. The government has not yet approved the change.
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Reporting by Louisa Eillier Editing by Mark Potter
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