蔡英文論文風波 近5百萬選民認為有問題

[中大西门]

民意調查基金會今公布最新民調，蔡英文總統捲入論文門風波，有兩成五上相信蔡英文總統倫敦政經學院博士論文是有問題的，但有近五成的人傾向不相信。如果換算成具體選民數，有近5百萬選民相信蔡英文總統的博士論文有問題。









與會的資深媒體人楊憲宏表示，倫敦政經學院把蔡總統放在books出版物品項，下面加註這是蔡英文自己送來的拷貝，但蔡的同學都放在dissertation論文，論文是屬於LSE的財產，但蔡下面是標著著作權還在蔡英文手上，這就很奇怪的分類，「若蔡英文是真的論文，只要跟同學一起處理不就好？」這都是未來辯論的焦點。







昨天總統府召開記者會，他強調，「我昨天看到是沒有裝訂的東西，我以前碩士論文交出來都有裝訂，但是蔡英文的比較像手稿，但倫敦政經學院那個比較像後來裝訂。」









台北市前副市長丁庭宇說，他83年畢業就出現自動排版，若博士的定義，就是要出版這本書；至於有人很強烈質疑時，蔡英文就應該第一時間就拿出來。







楊憲宏說，論文真假牽涉是誠信問題，蔡英文目前看起來是「無敵鐵金剛」、又有現任優勢，但看到並非完全不可破。







台灣民意基金會董事長游盈隆認為，府大動作太慢，民進黨說跟宇昌案一樣，但他認為，論文門是民間學者引成的風潮；至於跟宇昌案ㄧ樣的部分是，蔡總統沒有在第一時間說明，昨天只是幕僚跟發言人出來，「很奇怪，我們拿到博士學位都是千辛萬苦，應該會易如反掌，蔡不親自出來回應就是一大敗筆，如果昨天蔡親自出來，並拿出原版，原始畢業證書及論文拿出來就是沒有，昨天請兩個出來沒有拿過博士學歷的幕僚出來，大大敗筆」。







民調顯示，蔡英文論文門事件，63％有聽說過，37％沒有聽說過。顯示蔡總統博士論文與學位的爭議已經是一個「顯著的議題」；至於若蔡總統博士論文與學歷被證明是有問題，問題是否嚴不嚴重？27.7％非常嚴重，23.2％還算嚴重，30.3％不太嚴重，9.3％一點也不嚴重；在台灣總統選民中，有五成一的人傾向認為如果蔡總統博士論文與學歷被證明是有問題，那是一個嚴重的問題，但有四成左右的人傾向認為並不嚴重。







進一步分析顯示，中性選民方面，有五成四的人認為如果蔡總統博士論文有問題是一件嚴重的事，有三成一的人不這麼認為；由此可見，政黨傾向會顯著影響選民對這件事情的判斷。







他強調，資料顯示年輕高學歷選民較傾向認為博士論文真假有其嚴重性，這是否意味「論文門事件」有可能動搖原本支持蔡英文的年輕高學歷選民，值得觀察。







至於相不相信蔡英文總統倫敦政經學院博士論文是有問題的？結果發現：9.3％非常相信，15.3％有點相信，31.9％不太相信，17.8％一點也不相信，25.7％沒意見、不知道、拒答。換句話說，在台灣總統選民中，有兩成五基本上相信蔡英文總統倫敦政經學院博士論文是有問題的，但有近五成的人傾向不相信。如果換算成具體選民數，那就是，到目前為止，有近五百萬選民基本上相信蔡英文總統的博士論文有問題，但有近千萬人傾向不相信，不知道和沒意見的人也有五百萬人左右。







他強調，這個發現顯示，到目前為止，不相信蔡總統論文有問題的人遠多於相信的人，但當有近五百萬選民開始質疑總統的誠信與品格時，這已經構成蔡總統的道德危機。







本次調查山水民意研究公司受基金會委託，訪問期間是2019年9月18-19日；以全國為範圍的20歲以上成年人；抽樣方法是以全國住宅電話用戶為抽樣架構，以系統抽樣加尾數兩碼隨機方式抽樣；有效樣本1080人；抽樣誤差在95％信心水準下約正負2.98個百分點。





(中時 )

 

[中大西门]

Tsai Ing-wen files lawsuit against two professors in London School of Economics thesis controversy


By Michael Richardson

September 6, 2019


Tsai Ing-wen, president of the Republic of China in-exile, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Ho De-fen, professor emeritus at National Taiwan University, and Hwan Lin, a professor at Belk College in North Carolina. The lawsuit is over recent remarks the two professors have made about Tsai’s 1984 doctoral thesis at the London School of Economics. According to the LSE Library, Tsai did not submit her thesis to the library as required when she graduated. Nagging questions about the missing thesis prompted Tsai to submit the thesis in 2019, thirty-five years late.


Hwan Lin, a respected scholar with impeccable academic credentials, traveled to London and reviewed Tsai’s thesis this summer. Upon his return Lin issued a fifty page report on his observations and findings. According to Lin, the faxed thesis appeared to be a draft version with missing pages, handwritten comments, and page numbers that did not match the table of contents. Lin’s report included copies of his email exchange with the university about the thesis.


Ho De-fen, upon reading Lin’s report, called a news conference and questioned the validity of Tsai’s doctorate. Ho’s statements triggered Tsai’s lawsuit. Tsai is represented by attorneys Lien Yuan-lung and Chang Jen-chih.


If Tsai thinks the litigation will quiet the storm she is mistaken. What has been largely an academic dispute has now been pushed to a new level and secrets of her student years will become the subject of discovery, interrogatories, and depositions. The Taipei Times is now following the controversy which was previously largely confined to social media.


Tsai has taken on a formidable adversary that can be expected to wage a vigorous defense. Ho is no newcomer to the political arena. In her younger days Ho was active with the Wild Lilies movement against authoritarianism. A vocal proponent of democracy, Ho was a founder of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights in 1999 and later helped form the Taiwan Media Watch Foundation.


In support of her lawsuit Tsai has released some of her student records that shed a little light on a mystery man, Michael Elliot. Now deceased, Elliot is unable to answer any questions about his role in the thesis writing. After Tsai belatedly submitted her thesis the LSE Library cataloged the entry and listed Elliot as a co-author. That catalog entry was changed a week later and dropped Elliot. In her acknowledgements section of the thesis Tsai referred to Elliot has her supervisor. However, Elloit lacked a doctorate and could not, under standard academic protocol, have been her faculty advisor unless the London School of Economics lowered the standards in Tsai’s case. In Tsai’s newly disclosed student records, professors Lazar and Elliot are listed as her advisers in 1981. Only Elliot is listed in 1982 and no one is identified as adviser in 1983. The records also suggest that Tsai changed her thesis title during her course of study.


The irregularities surrounding Tsai’s student days and remaining questions about the award of a diploma now put the London School of Economics on trial although not formally named as a party. The university’s practices surrounding foreign students are sure to be closely examined by the defense.


Tsai does have one advantage in the case, the ROC’s antiquated judicial system with its “dinosaur judges” and lack of jury trials. During the ROC occupation of Taiwan, since World War II, the judiciary was used to imprison thousands of political prisoners during the White Terror era. More recently the flaws in the legal system were on display in the corruption trial of Tsai’s predecessor Chen Shui-bian. Chen had his judge switched contrary to court rules, was subjected to midnight court sessions, was heckled by spectators in the court room, and the victim of perjured testimony by a star witness. More recently, the ROC prosecution of the leaders of an advocacy group, Taiwan Civil Government, were held incommunicado without bail for five months until the group bought a full page ad in the New York Times pleading for bail. The prosecution of TCG leaders for political fraud has been marred by supposed victims that deny their victim status and are not permitted to testify.


Taiwan’s longstanding unresolved sovereignty that leaves an exiled Chinese regime in control of the island has created a swamp of confusion often called a “strategic ambiguity” that puts a Chinese flag on Tsai’s desk. Tsai’s thesis controversy that she has chosen to take to court now leaves her dancing in a new quagmire of her own making.

Richardson Reports

News you can't get anywhere else....

richardsonreports.wordpress.com

Tsai Ing-wen thesis sets off academic firestorm of controversy over “fake news” versus censored truth


By Michael Richardson

August 30, 2019


Tsai Ing-wen, president of the Republic of China in-exile, once wrote a book that now she doesn’t want anybody to read. Tsai’s 1984 thesis for the London School of Economics entitled “Unfair Trade Practices and Safeguard Actions” is on restricted status at the LSE Library. Filed thirty-five years late, the thesis is at the center of debate about Tsai’s scholarship and honesty.


Somehow, Tsai was able to obtain a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics despite not having filed her thesis with the LSE Library, as did the 105 other graduate students in her class. Researchers, wanting to know Tsai’s views, looked in vain for the thesis until finally the missing document attracted media attention in June 2019. Tsai’s supporters blamed London libraries, scanning backlogs, and catalog mistakes.

After it became clear Tsai did not submit her thesis as required she made a tardy submission by fax. Tsai also slapped a restricted access copyright limitation on the thesis preventing copying the document.


Professor Hwan Lin, a Taiwanese-American at Belk College in the United States, decided to do a little research himself and issued a fifty-page report on the history of the thesis, outlining a number of irregularities. Lin, who traveled to London and visited the LSE Library, found the faxed thesis to be a draft version with missing pages, page numbers that do not match the table of contents, and handwritten corrections.


In Taipei, Professor emeritus Ho De-fen of Taiwan National University picked up the quest for truth questioning the validity of Tsai’s doctorate. Tsai responded to the challenge almost immediately on her personal Facebook account and threatened Ho with legal action. Tsai called the questions about her thesis “fake news” and said Ho was “factually incorrect.”


In the midst of controversy over the thesis a mystery man has appeared, Michael Elliot. After Tsai faxed her copy of the thesis to the LSE Library in July the catalog entry was updated and listed Elliot as a co-author. That listing lasted about a week and then came down. Elliot, who now is deceased, was an instructor at the London School of Economics when Tsai was a graduate student. However, Elliot could not have been her faculty adviser as he lacked a Ph.D. If Elliot ghost-wrote the thesis, or co-authored, it will be difficult to determine what is his work and what contribution Tsai made to the paper. In the thesis Acknowledgments, which was retyped, Elliot is described as Tsai’s supervisor without further explanation.


Nothing has yet been made public about the identity of Tsai’s academic adviser, or the members of her oral exam panel. Tsai said in her Facebook statement, “In short, if I received my diploma, then I submitted my thesis.” Curiously, Tsai’s diploma is a modern re-issue, not the original award.


Tsai’s restriction on access of her thesis will keep critics from looking for plagiarism or other academic flaws but will do little to quiet the storm. This is not the first time Tsai has taken steps to silence public discussion about her thesis. Several years ago the ROC presidential office reached out to a California internet discussion group that was chatting about the thesis. Allen Kuo, the chat editor of BATA, has confirmed that the presidential office asked through an intermediary to end the discussion topic. Kuo was told the matter was personal not political and he then complied with the request. Chagrined, Kuo is now calling for an investigation of the thesis authenticity.

Richardson Reports

News you can't get anywhere else....

richardsonreports.wordpress.com

 

[中大西门]

http://www.lse.ac.uk/website-archiv...i-Ing-wen-elected-as-president-of-Taiwan.aspx
LSE alumna Dr Tsai Ing-wen elected as president of Taiwan
Former LSE student Dr Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party, has become president-elect of Taiwan. The 59-year-old, who served as Taiwan's vice premier between 2006 and 2007, gained a PhD Law from LSE in 1984.

 

[中大西门]

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) sent her attorneys to file a lawsuit against two academics who have been questioning the validity of her Ph.D. in Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the Presidential Office announced Wednesday (September 4).
National Taiwan University professor emeritus Ho De-fen (賀德芬) and University of North Carolina at Charlotte assistant professor Hwan C. Lin (林環牆) claimed Tsai never passed her dissertation defense in 1984, though both Tsai and the LSE rejected the allegations.
The Presidential Office said Tsai was suing both Ho and Lin for damaging her reputation. The LSE had supplied all the relevant documents proving Tsai had written and completed her doctoral dissertation, titled “Unfair trade practices and safeguard actions,” as well as written proof that she had passed all relevant tests and examinations and a copy of her March 1984 diploma, the Presidential Office said.
National Chengchi University had also provided documents proving that when applying for a teaching position there, Tsai had supplied her doctoral dissertation. The university and the Ministry of Education had also copies of Tsai’s diploma on file which were absolutely the same as the document provided by the LSE, officials said.
The totally baseless accusations had exceeded the limits of the acceptable, so the president had decided to file a lawsuit, presidential officials said, adding that Ho had demanded a judicial investigation into the case, which she would now get.

 

[中大西门]

Tsai Ing-wen’s PhD thesis
Politics Taiwan Politics









hansioux
1
16d

So the more radical and fundamentalist members of the Christian wing of the DPP had split from the party and formed the so called Formosa Alliance. Its Chinese name actually translates to the Island of Joy and Peace Alliance.
Lately they’ve been retreading the attack on the legitimacy of Tsai’s PhD degree at England’s London School of Economics and Political Science, despite the fact that LSE congradulated Tsai as an alumni after her 2016 victory.
Their main claim is based on the fact that no physical or digital copy of her thesis is available to the public. They also claim that Tsai’s LSE student record is filled with inconsistancies.


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They say that based on her student record, Tsai entered LSE in 1980, and dropped out in 1982, so she couldn’t possibly have finshed the program in 2 years. Her degree and original thesis title have been altered. The degree box originally had Master (law) written in it. That was crossed out with PhD added on top. They then claim that Tsai’s supervisors weren’t doctors. They also think she couldn’t have been awarded a degree in 1984 when she already dropped out in 1982.
My personal conclusion is that Tsai finished her required classes in 1982, and decided to take a suspension to avoid paying tuition until she had completed her thesis. She used financial difficulties as her excuse for the suspension. She finally decided on her thesis title by January 19 1983. At somepoint she changed the title. Then she applied for her PhD exam and defense June of 1983. Finally she was awarded the degree February of 1984. It took her 4 years to complete her program.
Also, I think supervisor on her student record might mean something different from what the word usually means in the US today. However, since I never went to school in England, I don’t know if my interpretation is correct.
Aside from her student record, Tsai also provide these documents:


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So is this attack just another fake news? Or do the claims of LSE and Tsai forging her PhD record have some credibility?

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54	https://librarysearch.lse.ac.uk/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=44LSE_ALMA_DS21186359...
22	Congratulations on LSE Alumna Dr Tsai Ing-wen as the President-elected of Republic of... lse.ac.uk
22	Browse by Year - LSE Theses Online lse.ac.uk
22	British Library EThOS: Unfair trade practices and safeguard actions bl.uk
6	Taiwan: Violent Protests in Taiwan Follow Election Defeat nytimes.com

There are 89 replies with an estimated read time of 11 minutes.


15d

Her thesis has gone missing. She retorted that it can be found at the LSE library. Looks like it is up there, but it was just recently loaded.
https://librarysearch.lse.ac.uk/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=44LSE_ALMA_DS21186359930002021&context=L&vid=44LSE_VU1&lang=en_US&tab=default_tab&query=any,contains,Unfair%20Trade%20Practices%20and%20Safeguard%20Actions 54



hansioux
15d

The issue here is that there is no digital copy. And though the library page says it’s on the shelf somewhere, no one was able to prove the physical copy acutally exists. Even the guy who claims he went to the LSE library only got the librarian to get to that page you posted.
The fact the library only just provided a digital record of the thesis this year is also making it harder to dispel the rumor.