Questionable PhD of Government's Science Adviser

[Bonobo]

There is a further story about the controversial PhD of Barry McSweeney, the Government's Chief Science Adviser, in today's Sunday Times -

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/ ... 60,00.html

The body ("pacific western university") which awarded this PhD has been labelled a diploma mill by the US federal government.

It does not have a campus and operates out of an office in California, and the full qualifications of its "academic staff" are not set out on its website.

I'm sure that any Government Chief Science Adviser would be aware that the general problem of cv cheats who gain an edge over legitimate candidates by virtue of bogus qualifications purchased over the internet is a growing one and therefore it seems appropriate that Minister Martin is taking the allegations about McSweeney/Pacific Western University seriously.

Minister Martin is looking into the matter and I'm sure he would welcome any information or comments that anyone would have - particularly those who are working hard for legitimate qualifications from recognised universities. The Minister's private secretary's email address is

Bridget_flynn@entemp.ie

[BarryW]

Well at least this guy went to the trouble of actually buying his degree, in contrast with Bertie Ahern - who just pretended that he had one

[campbeca]

Did Bertie not prove he had a degree from UCD?

[smiffy]

Does anyone know when he was appointed to this position?

Actually, scratch that. His biography's here.

[BarryW]

Did Bertie not prove he had a degree from UCD?

I think that's still a bone of contention.

The fact remains that the LSE have never heard of the man

[Carrier]

Well at least this guy went to the trouble of actually buying his degree, in contrast with Bertie Ahern - who just pretended that he had one

Don't see why that makes any odds. Why should anyone care whether or not he has a degree? I remember when that story came up first, FG etc came across like snobs.

[BarryW]

I remember when that story came up first, FG etc came across like snobs.

Erm.......in contrast with Ahern, who came across as a liar

[Bonobo]

Don't see why that makes any odds. Why should anyone care whether or not he has a degree? I remember when that story came up first, FG etc came across like snobs.

Calling it snobbery is missing the point. The point is - there are people who work for their qualifications and there are those who take shortcuts. The shortcut people include those who just make things up on their cvs and those who buy "degrees" on the internet. Cv cheating is often undetected and is a form of unfairness on the people who have worked for their degrees.

The general issue is one of fairness and that does matter. To ignore the unanswered questions about McSweeney would undermine the standard totally. That's why the McSweeney issue has to be taken seriously by Minister Martin.

[smiffy]

Calling it snobbery is missing the point.

I think Carrier was talking about Ahern, rather than McSweeney.

[Bonobo]

You may be right, it wasn't totally clear to me.
But I think there is a world of difference between the Taoiseach's studies and questions about the nature of the PhD qualifications of the Government Chief Science Adviser.