Universities to Verify Academic Records of Faculty Members

Dongkuk University, which has been rocked by the “fake degree scandal” of former assistant Professor Shin Jeong-ah, has decided to verify all the academic backgrounds and work experiences of its faculty members.

Buddhist monk Jeong Ahn, the secretary general of Dongkuk University, said on Wednesday, “The university has decided to launch a special committee under the president to validate (the academic backgrounds and work experiences) of all teaching staff at the 230th board meeting.” He added, “The measure was drawn up in an attempt to prevent cases like Shin’s scandal through the establishment of a proper verification system.”

Dankook University also announced on Wednesday that it will check the academic backgrounds of all faculty members.

Dankook University will also confirm the authenticity of the already obtained degrees of some 3,000 students enrolled in a master’s or Ph.D. programs.

Meanwhile, Sungkyunkwan University cancelled the admission and both the master’s and doctoral degrees of Kim Ok-rang, the head of the Dongsoong Art Center, at a meeting of the graduate school committee held on Wednesday.

“The committee confirmed that the academic transcript that Kim submitted to the university to take a master’s program is different from the one that the committee obtained during its investigation,” said an official of Sungkyunkwan University.

Kim, who flew to Japan, has been in a hospital after secretly returning to Korea by ferry on Sunday.

The Seoul Central Prosecutors` Office said Wednesday that it will soon summon Kim for questioning as a suspect at a later date.

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