VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) on October 4 released the decision to revoke the doctorate of Hoang Xuan Que, Deputy Head of the Finance & Banking Institute, an arm of the Hanoi National Economics University.

The decision was made after the taskforce set up to probe the case and came to the conclusion that the dissertation of Dr. Hoang Xuan Que, themed “The solutions to perfect the basic instruments of the monetary policies in Vietnam” plagiarized 30 percent of the content of the dissertation of Dr Mai Thanh Que from the Banking Academy.

Dr. Mai Thanh Que defended his doctor dissertation just several months before Dr. Hoang Xuan Que.

MOET instructed its relevant departments to take probe over the case after receiving a letter of denunciation from a group of people who worked for the Hanoi National Economics University.

Meanwhile, Dr. Hoang Xuan Que has denied the plagiarism, affirming his innocence and stating that he will “fight as a matter of honor to the last.”

He said the inspectors ignored a lot of evidences and witnesses who “can show the truth.”

“The doctorate is not only my honor, but the honor of the Hanoi National Economics University and the Ministry of Education and Training as well,” he added.

He said that after hearing about the possible punishment, he lodged a complaint to the Minister of Education and Training Pham Vu Luan, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga, Chief Inspector Nguyen Huy Bang on October 3, protesting against the draft decision.

However, the Ministry of Education and Training took no notice of the protest, still officially made the decision on October 4 and post the news on the ministry’s official website on the same day.

Meanwhile, the scholars, who guided Dr. Que when he wrote the dissertation, the critics to the dissertation and banking experts have raised their voice in defense of Dr. Hoang Xuan Que.

“The information that Hoang Xuan Que’s dissertation is identical with some parts of the dissertation of Dr. Mai Thanh Que is unreasonable,” said Dr Duong Thu Huong.

Huong has been known as an expert in the monetary policies. She was the Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam, a member of the Prime Ministerial Research Team, Deputy Chair of the National Assembly’s Economics and Budget Committee and Chair of the Vietnam Banking Association.

Especially, she was the guide for Dr. Mai Thanh Que writing his dissertation and the critic for Dr. Hoang Xuan Que.

“I cannot see the similarities in the two dissertations of Dr. Mai Thanh Que and Hoang Xuan Que. The two dissertations discuss the two different issues of the monetary policies,” Huong said.

Le Van Hung, former Director of a department of the Ministry of Finance, who was the guiding teacher of Dr. Hoang Xuan Que also said he was so surprised about the decision.

Hung, in an interview given to Nguoi dua tin, affirmed that the guiding teachers (No 1 and 2), the scientific council and Dr Hoang Xuan Que followed all necessary procedures as required to write and defend the dissertation.

“We will protest against the Ministry of Education and Training’s decision,” he maintained.

Thanh Mai