Images of a commemorative PhD plaque at Hanoi National University of Education 2 showing two visibly chiseled-out names have made waves on academic forums in recent days. The plaque, situated in the university’s “Doctoral Garden,” is dedicated to honoring faculty members who have earned doctoral degrees through the years.

Among hundreds of names etched into stone, two entries - numbered 214 and 257 - have been deliberately removed. Posts circulating alongside the images claim that one of the individuals involved was suspected of using a falsified doctoral degree.

On January 27, during a ceremony recognizing 12 new PhD graduates of 2025, university president Associate Professor Nguyen Quang Huy addressed the controversy publicly.

He confirmed that the university had uncovered and taken disciplinary action against a faculty member for possessing an illegitimate doctoral credential.

“This is not only a legal violation,” Huy said, “but more profoundly, a breach of academic integrity - the very ethical foundation of scholarly work.”

As a result, the individual’s name was not only stripped from university records but also physically removed from the PhD honor wall.

“I am not sharing this to dampen the joy of today’s ceremony,” the president noted, “but to highlight a critical message: a doctoral title is not just a label - it is a matter of honor. And honor cannot be borrowed, replaced, or compromised.”

Huy went on to define academic integrity as the ultimate ethical boundary in research, asserting that once crossed, any other achievements lose their meaning.

According to him, being a PhD holder isn’t just about completing a dissertation. It requires independent thinking, responsible skepticism, intellectual honesty, and the patience to walk a long, uncertain path.

“This is the true formation of a scholarly identity,” he said.

The university president emphasized that genuine breakthroughs in science can only come from deep, honest, and rigorous thinking - not from shortcuts or diluted standards.

“For our university,” he added, “training should not merely address short-term needs, but prepare for the country’s long-term future. Every PhD, every associate professor must understand that the knowledge they generate today will shape the learning of generations to come.”

He also urged new PhDs and associate professors not to view their titles as final destinations, but as ongoing reminders of their academic responsibilities.

Such responsibilities, he said, go beyond the number of publications or research grants. They lie first and foremost in upholding scholarly standards, safeguarding intellectual honesty, and nurturing a healthy, respectful, and intellectually deep academic culture.

“There are accolades given in ceremonies,” Huy concluded, “but there are values that can only be proven over a lifetime. A doctoral degree alone doesn’t make one a great scholar. Only truthfulness to knowledge, perseverance in one’s calling, social responsibility, and a love for science can do that.”

“I hope every new PhD and new associate professor will always remember: the scientific journey is not measured by what we’ve achieved, but by the standards we refuse to compromise.”

Thanh Hung