TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The student community of prestigious National Taiwan University has voiced concern about the recent plagiarism row and called for renewed focus to be pivoted towards academic integrity.

A joint statement released on Saturday (Aug. 13) by the university’s Student Association (NTUSA) and Graduate Student Association (NTUGSA) suggested that the plagiarism controversy surrounding Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)’s Taoyuan mayoral candidate Lin Chih-chien (林智堅), who has withdrawn from the race, has been marred by political fighting at the expense of discussion about academic standards.

The students’ associations believe that when a thesis spurs contention, the author and their instructor should both be subjected to investigation and held accountable. They also asked all parties to reflect on the true meaning of obtaining diplomas, arguing for a different certification system for in-service education programs that do not require a dissertation or thesis.

Meanwhile, the students’ representatives urged proper disclosure of the review process that would determine whether to rescind one’s degree. In addition to confidential information, all the documents and meetings should be open to public scrutiny.

The call comes following Lin’s dropping out of the mayoral race last week after his NTU master’s degree was revoked due to plagiarism. The incident has riveted national attention and National Security Bureau (NSB) Director General Chen Ming-tong (陳明通), who served as Lin’s thesis advisor, has been panned for his role in supervising the study.