Lithuanian university finds plagiarism in premier’s doctoral thesis

By Seyma Erkul Dayanc

ISTANBUL (AA) - A Lithuanian university has found plagiarism and other academic integrity violations in Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius’ doctoral thesis, giving him six months to address the shortcomings, broadcaster LRT reported Friday.

The Ethics Commission of ISM University of Management and Economics found violations involving academic writing, citations and source attribution in the dissertation, which Sinkevicius defended in 2015.

The commission also identified instances of plagiarism and said the thesis did not meet the requirement for independent doctoral research, according to the university's findings.

The university has given Sinkevicius six months to address the violations.

It did not recommend revoking his doctoral degree.

The dissertation examined factors influencing alcohol consumption.

Sinkevicius has previously denied plagiarism, saying he wrote the thesis himself and adhered to academic standards.

Şeyma Erkul Dayanç