“I don’t know who the real authors of the graduation theses are,” a university lecturer in Hanoi said when asked about the so-called ‘thesis trade’ at his university as reported by newspapers.

“It is easy to find ghostwriters in the digital era,” he said. “There are hundreds of websites on which you can find ways to contact the ghostwriters. Everything can be bought, from university graduation to doctoral dissertation.”

There are numerous such service providers, and it is not difficult to contact them, because they are very competitive. Most of the service providers advertise they have a qualified staff of excellent university students, masters and PhDs ready to ‘serve clients’. 

However, the lecturer said that most of the members of the staff are university students.

“I don’t think that doctoral theses would be written by PhDs. I believe that third or fourth year university students are the real authors of the theses,” he commented. 

Trang, a fourth year student at X University in Hanoi, told Lao Dong reporters that she began the job of ghostwriting last year. 

“I mostly write university graduation and master theses. I have completed two master theses and both works were highly appreciated,” she said.

“I think I can write a doctoral thesis, but I dare not take this job,” she said. “But my friends will take any job which can bring money.”

Trang is well known at her university for her study achievements. After three years of studying, Trang became the assistant for an experienced lecturer at the school after passing two exam rounds. 

Sometimes she gets jobs from the lecturer itself. Asked about the income, Trang said the lecturer gives her VND3 million for every university graduation thesis completed and she never ‘haggles’ with her teacher about the price.

“The price is acceptable, because I don’t have to spend time to look for materials. The lecturer, when assigning jobs, also gives books and materials for reference,” she said, adding that it takes her one or two weeks, and several hours a day, to finish one thesis.

Ghostwriting is also the major source of income of Tuan, a law student. He said that ‘this absolutely doesn’t violate the laws’.

“It is difficult to find evidence to conclude that I am a ghostwriter. So, there is no need to worry about it,” he said. “If I don’t take these jobs, others will.”

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My Chi