Education Ministers calls for cancellation of degrees at scandal-hit faculty

Czech Minister of Education, Miroslava Kopicová called on Wednesday for the law faculty at the Pilsen-based West Bohemian University to start cancelling as soon as possible doctoral degrees where serious doubt exists about their validity. Investigations by a commission at the scandal beleaguered faculty have shown that 14 out of 63 doctorates awarded there were not in conformity with correct procedures. Some, for example, were given in a surprisingly short time and others when the examining committee was hurriedly and incorrectly convened. A scandal over plagiarism at the faculty last summer quickly expanded with teaching practices and the award of degrees coming under scrutiny.