China’s stated goal of becoming a ‘research superpower’ could be held back by one big problem reports The New York Times. The newspaper notes that fraud is pervasive in education and scientific research as state universities pressure academics to rack up credentials and raise the nation’s image. They report that a third of the 6,000 scientists polled in a recent government study of the nation’s top science institutions said they had plagiarized or fabricated data. (1)
Helen Zhang’s University of Zhejiang scientific journal was the first in China to use CrossCheck text analysis software to scan for plagiarism. She discovered that over a two year period, 31 percent of all papers showed unreasonable copying or plagiarism. For computer science and life science papers, that figure went up to almost 40 percent. Zhang and others say the blame lies in part with traditional Chinese culture which values rote memorization and repetition and holds that copying a teacher’s work is a way of learning. (2)
In December, a British journal that specializes in crystal formations announced that it was withdrawing more than 70 papers by Chinese authors whose research was of questionable originality or rigor. (1)
Anthony Kuhn says his website has exposed some 500 cases of academic fakery, but authorities have acted on very few. (3)
The New York Times adds, “The problem is not confined to the realm of science. In fact many educators say the culture of cheating takes root in high school, where the competition for slots in the country’s best colleges is unrelenting and high marks on standardized tests are the most important criterion for admissions.” (1)
It’s not only top scholars being accused of plagiarism; top executives are constantly being exposed at having faked their education credentials, or of having acquired them through diploma mills that require no study. After a recent plane crash that killed 42 people in northeast China, officials discovered that 100 pilots who worked for the airline’s parent company had falsified their flying histories. (1)
China is the world epicenter of theft of intellectual property and copying of foreign products. Western movies often appear on the street in China almost before they are released in the United States. (4) Microsoft estimates that over 90% of Windows software used in China is stolen. Recently, in the city of Kunming, China, trade officials uncovered five storefronts mimicking the iconic look, logo and layout of an Apple store. They’ve been described as ‘the best ripoff we had ever seen.’ (5)
Fang Shimin cites the case of Chen Jin, a computer scientist who was once celebrated for having invented a sophisticated microprocessor but who, it turned out, had taken a chip made by Motorola, scratched out its name, and claimed it as his own. Mr. Jin was showered with government largess and accolades, then the exposure in 2006 was an embarrassment for the scientific establishment that backed him. But even though Mr. Jin lost his university post, he was never prosecuted. (1)
Specialists and collectors around the world have long decried the flood of sham fossils pouring out of China. But Science magazine reported that many composites and fakes are now finding their way into Chinese museums, especially local museums. One paleontologist estimates that more than 80% of marine reptile specimens now on display in Chinese museums have been ‘altered or artificially combined to varying degrees.’ One consequence of the fakery is an erosion of trust in museums, which are supposed to enlighten, not con, the public. The growing problem of faked specimens stems from China’s fossil economy. Most fossils, including prized specimens, are unearthed by farmers, who often gussy up specimens to make them look more complete or unusual and thus fetch a higher price. (6)
Few countries are immune to high-profile frauds. Illegal doping in sports and malfeasance on Wall Street are running scandals in the United States and we are not without stain in the area of academic dishonesty in all levels of education. (7)
But in China, fakery in education, scientific research and other areas has been taken to a level that has many folks concerned that this could make it harder for the country to climb the next rungs on the scientific and economic ladders.
References:
- Andrew Jacobs. “Rampant Fraud Threat to China’s Brisk Ascent,” The New York Times, October 6, 2010
- Louisa Lim, “Plagiarism Plague Hinders China’s Scientific Ambition,” npr.org, August 3, 2011
- Anthony Kuhn, “China Faces Academic Corruption, Quality Problems,” npr.org, June 5, 2006
- Terence Chen, “The Source of Plagiarism in China,” irrawaddy.org, April 29, 2011
- “China’s Fake Apple Stores: An Instant Guide,” theweek.com, July 26, 2011
- Richard Stone, “Altering the Past: China’s Faked Fossils Problem,” Science, 330, 1740, December 24, 2010
- “Academic Dishonesty,” [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic-dishonesty]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic-dishonesty[/url]; accessed August 12, 2011
