Hanoi Pedagogical University 2 leaders confirmed the information on 28/1. The individual, a department head in the English faculty, had their name removed from the doctoral plaque. The university also suspended the lecturer from teaching and is cooperating with the police for further verification to reach a final conclusion.

At the 2025 new doctoral recognition ceremony, held yesterday by the university, Associate Professor Doctor Nguyen Quang Huy, the Rector, addressed the case. He stressed that this constitutes a legal violation and a breach of scientific integrity. According to Dr. Huy, a doctoral degree represents not just a title but also honor.

"Honor cannot be borrowed, replaced, or traded," he stated. "Scientific integrity is the ultimate ethical boundary for researchers; once that boundary is crossed, all other achievements become meaningless."

The doctoral garden at Hanoi Pedagogical University 2, where the names of doctors are honored. *Photo: University Fanpage*

The incident originated from a post on a scientific integrity forum last week. It raised suspicions that the Hanoi Pedagogical University 2 lecturer was using a fake doctoral degree from the University of Queensland, Australia.

One individual reported that checks with the University of Queensland and searches for the doctoral thesis in its library yielded no information about the lecturer.

Subsequently, all information regarding this lecturer was removed from Hanoi Pedagogical University 2's official communication channels.

For many years, Hanoi Pedagogical University 2 has honored its doctoral graduates by engraving their names on commemorative plaques within its campus. The lecturer in question was honored in early 2023.

Duong Tam