The ethics commission from Babeș-Bolyai University confirms that IntMin Bode plagiarized his Ph.D

​The Ethics Commission of Babeș-Bolyai University analyzed the doctoral thesis of the Minister of the Interior, Lucian Bode, and came to the conclusion that “suspicions of plagiarism are confirmed in the vast majority”, and “the ethical violations found are sufficiently important for to conclude that the thesis is deeply flawed”.

The Ethics Committee asks Bode for corrections to the thesis and the withdrawal of the book published on the basis of the thesis. It also reports to the CNATDCU/National Research Ethics Council “for additional steps, under the law”.

“The Ethics Commission of UBB adopted on 09.01.2023 Decision No. 1 of 2023 as a result of self-reporting following new information regarding suspicions of plagiarism in the doctoral thesis of Mr. Lucian Bode. The conclusion of the analysis is that suspicions of plagiarism are confirmed in the vast majority. In the absence of the legal possibility to apply disciplinary sanctions to a person who is not a member of the academic community, the Commission requests corrections to the thesis and the withdrawal of the book published on the basis of the thesis, and the national councils (CNATDCU/National Research Ethics Council) will be notified for additional steps, in accordance with the law”, says a statement from the Ethics Commission of UBB.

The commission was notified after PressOne, under the signature of journalist Emilia Șercan, published an analysis according to which Interior Minister Lucian Bode’s doctoral thesis contains at least 18.5% plagiarized text, as well as 6 completely plagiarized illustrations, and another 30 incorrectly cited. Initially, the Ethics Commission did not check the entire doctoral thesis of the Minister of the Interior, Lucian Bode, but only the fragments that were claimed as plagiarism, finding that the fragments identified as having a plagiarism problem represent approximately 1,923 words out of 65,000 words of the thesis (2.95 %).

The Minister of the Interior, Lucian Bode, sued, on January 5, the Ethics Commission of “Babeș-Bolyai” University in Cluj-Napoca (UBB).

Bode won’t resign, to address the court

The Minister of the Interior, Lucian Bode, reacted on Facebook after the Ethics Commission of the Babeș-Bolyai University analyzed his doctoral thesis and came to the conclusion that “the suspicions of plagiarism are confirmed in the vast majority”. Bode claims that UBB’s approach is “an extremely dangerous precedent not only for the academic world, but also for the principles that govern the rule of law”, that his doctoral thesis “passed absolutely all stages of analysis and successfully passed through all filters verification” and accuses that the University of Cluj gave in to some pressure.

He also claims that Babeș-Bolyai University “hastened to respond to these pressures, without waiting for the court’s decision” and that it will address the court “because it is the only fair and legitimate way to settle this case that has exceeded not only the limits of the law, but also of reason”.

Lucian Bode further accuses “concerted attacks by the USR and its satellites” against him and the PNL, as well as “the pressures and attacks against the Babeș-Bolyai University throughout this period”.

Emilia Sercan’s stance

​On the other hand, journalist Emilia Șercan, who analyzed for PressOne the content of the doctoral thesis of Interior Minister Lucian Bode, believes that Babeș-Bolyai University did it in a “political key rather than ethical”, appreciating that the decision to ask for the correction of the paper places The Ethics Commission on the side of plagiarists.

“Dr. Bode is officially a plagiarist. The UBB Ethics Commission confirms my disclosure about Dr. Lucian Bode’s thesis: the doctoral thesis of the Minister of the Interior is plagiarized and demands the publishing house that published Dr. Bode’s book – CA Publishing, which belonged to Bode’s scientific supervisor, Adrian Ivan, rector of SRI – its withdrawal.    However, this time too, when it was found that almost a fifth of the thesis was plagiarized, UBB is asking for the correction of the plagiarism.    This measure shows that UBB has placed itself, once again, on the side of plagiarists and not academic integrity. He preferred to defend Bode instead of defending his own image and standards.    It was reported on the “Bode case” in a political key rather than an ethical one“, Emilia Șercan says in a message on Facebook.