Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca asks for the analysis of his PhD thesis, which he presented in 2003, entitled “The Dimension of the Romanian Army’s Engagement in Multinational Joint Operations,” by the ethics committee of the National Defence University (UNAp), an institution organizing doctoral thesis.
According to the Prime Minister, the choice of the topic of his PhD dissertation was predominantly based on his personal experience gained in international missions in which he participated directly, individually or together with the 26th Infantry Battalion: UN peacekeeping mission in Angola (1996-1997), NATO mission within SACEUR Strategic Reserve for the Western Balkans (2000-2001) and the Afghanistan Coalition Mission (2002).
“Therefore, my thesis includes, in addition to scientific research and theoretical study, the experience I gained in the actual missions and exercises in which I participated, which is obviously the original contribution of a properly developed doctoral thesis,” he added.
The head of the Executive underscored that, as a soldier, regardless of the position in which he was assigned, he has always fulfilled his duties, “observing the principles, laws and military regulations that govern the activity of the Romanian Army.”
“The public accusations I received refer to the fact that some of the references in the footnotes do not appear in the bibliographic list, which only shows that the thesis is a honest one, since the source was mentioned at least once. Those public accusations cannot be justified, in any way, scientifically speaking, which can be proved by any report on similarity, correctly and professionally carried out. Syntagms and standardized formulations specific to the field of the PhD thesis (such as “stability pillar” etc.) should not be avoided when dealing with a sensitive subject – such as geopolitics – where semantics must be precise, which is why certain phrases/formulations must be standardized,” said Ciuca.
He also mentions that, since 2003, after he presented it, his PhD became public and can be consulted at the Library of the National Defence University and at the National Library.
“I believe that I worked on my thesis according to the legal requirements existing at that time and, consequently, I initiated the request for its verification by the ethics committee of the UNAp – the institution organizing doctoral theses, according to the legal provisions in force, in the spirit of OMEC No. 5229/2020 of August 17, 2020. To the extent that there are still questions, UNAp will be entitled to request a verification by CNATDCU – Commission 26 – Political Science, Security Studies, Military Science, Information and Public Order,” says Ciuca.
An investigation published by pressone.ro claims that Nicolae Ciuca’s thesis, based on which he became a doctor of military sciences in 2003, includes plagiarized content in at least 42 pages out of a total of 138.
Stroe: PM Ciuca clarifies in PNL Executive Bureau he has no problem with plagiarism accusations regarding his doctoral dissertation
National Liberal Party (PNL) spokesperson Ionut Stroe said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca has presented to his party colleagues the explanations he also put forward in the press, on the plagiarism accusations regarding his doctoral dissertation.
“Like you, I saw Mr. Ciuca’s statements. He considers that his doctoral thesis is a legitimate one, moreover, it is based on personal experiences in the missions he participated in. Mr. Prime Minister Ciuca affirmed his total availability and openness to send this thesis to be verified by the Ethics Committee and all these institutions authorized to verify the authenticity of these doctoral theses,” said Ionut Stroe, at the PNL headquarters, after the party’s Executive Bureau meeting, which took place online.
According to the PNL spokesperson, the prime minister clarified at a meeting that he had “no problem in this matter”.
“He [the prime minister – ed.n.] publicly conveyed to us the ideas he also put forward to the press, he clarified the party leadership that he has no problem in this matter. (…) Verdicts, verifications and conclusions can be established by those who are in a position to verify, namely the academic area, an ethics committee, the Military Academy or those who conduct the checks, not the party members or the public opinion, after all,” added Ionut Stroe.
Asked if Prime Minister Ciuca was asked to resign in this context, he replied: “Such a thing is out of the question”.
“I think it is premature to put forward a scenario as long as there is a committee in the academic field that will verify the doctoral thesis of the prime minister, after which we could make assessments. Until then, I prefer not to comment on these scenarios and to leave it to those who are able and competent and have expertise in the field to do so,” the PNL spokesperson also said, according to Agerpres.
PNL’s Citu: Prime Minister told me that he had sent his doctoral dissertation to certify not plagiarized
The President of the Senate, the liberal leader Florin Citu, declared on Tuesday evening that the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca informed him that he sent his doctoral thesis, for verification, to a commission to certify that it is not plagiarized.
“Today, the Prime Minister was in the meeting of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Executive Bureau and he himself took the floor and presented the situation. He told me that he had sent the work for verification, on his own initiative, to a commission to certify that it is not plagiarism,” Citu said on the Digi 24 television station.
Asked if this issue is not a vulnerability for the PNL, Citu answered no, but stressed that it is Nicolae Ciuca’s duty to clarify this subject “very quickly”.
Presidential Administration: President Iohannis believes the decision made by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca to request the analysis of his doctoral thesis is correct and necessary
President Klaus Iohannis believes the decision made by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca to request the analysis of his doctoral thesis by the Ethics Committee of the National Defence University (UNAp) is correct and necessary, according to the Presidential Administration.
The Presidential Administration shows, in a response for AGERPRES, that the head of state maintains his position, reiterated in countless public statements, regarding the fight against the phenomenon of plagiarism and the importance of academic integrity.
“The President of Romania believes the decision made by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca to request the analysis of his doctoral thesis by the Ethics Committee of UNAp to be correct and necessary, any demarche meant to clarify suspicions raised in the public space being welcome. Until a final decision of the relevant institutions, President Klaus Iohannis will make no other comments on the matter,” shows the cited source.
Compiled from Agerpres
