Education minister resigns over research fraud scandal

Taiwan’s Education Minister Chiang Wei-ling resigned over his links to a researcher whose papers were retracted from an international scientific journal because of alleged fraud.

The minister has said he will return to teaching at the National Central University in Jongli in northern Taiwan. He was president of the university before joining the cabinet in February 2012, the state-run news agency CNA reported.

Sun Lih-chyun, spokesperson for the Executive Yuan – roughly equivalent to Taiwan’s cabinet – confirmed that the minister’s resignation had been accepted by Premier Jiang Yi-huah, and that Deputy Minister Chen Der-hwa would assume the role of acting education minister until a successor was formally announced.

Chiang said in a statement that the decision to resign was made to uphold his own reputation and avoid unnecessary disturbance of the work of the education ministry, after the incident ignited a wave of public criticism.

Chiang co-authored several of the retracted papers with Peter Chen, a former associate professor of computer science at the National Pingtung University of Education in southern Taiwan. Chen resigned from the institution in February following an investigation the university conducted after being alerted by the publisher SAGE.

The minister worked at National Central University when the papers were written but claims he had no knowledge of Chen’s activities.

Chiang’s resignation came a week after Premier Jiang ordered the Ministry of Science and Technology to look into the allegations, and urged Chiang to “release all information” as soon as possible.

The Ministry of Science and Technology said last week that it might have funded the research for 40 of Peter Chen’s questionable papers amounting to some $169,164, according to Lin Yi-bing, vice-minister of science and technology.
source: http://www.punchng.com/education/education-minister-resigns-over-research-fraud-scandal/

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