Exposé (Part 1): Culture of Fraud in Singapore Universities

Flexible Standards of Honesty, Ethics and Fraud Exist.

Fraud Encourages Fraud.  Fraud begets fraud; and then some.

It is just a matter of time.  The erosion of integrity and authenticity must eventually destroy the moral basis for ethical management and burst the bubble of dishonesty.

   

The latest revelations that Singapore’s premier Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has revoked the 2013 PhD degree of a former Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) scientist, one Ms Sabeera Bonala, after she admitted that she had falsified data in her research and doctoral thesis.

This is the latest fallout in one of the biggest cases of scientific fraud in Singapore, which first came to light in July 2016.  Six research papers were retracted then, including three that had listed Ms Bonala as the first author. Two other researchers have left their posts and another one had his PhD revoked in the earlier episode.

The trio involved in the 2016 scandal are Professor Ravi Kambadur, who was with NTU; Dr Mridula Sharma, who was associate professor at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; and former NTU researcher Sudarsanareddy Lokireddy, who had his PhD from NTU.

Dr Sharma is no longer at NUS and Dr Lokireddy’s PhD from NTU has also been revoked. NTU investigations in December 2015 led to 3 papers on Myostatin, a muscular growth protein, published in 2011 and 2012 being retracted. Another paper was withdrawn before publication and the other 2 papers were corrected. Three more papers published from 2012 to 2014, based on research funded by A*Star and the National Research Foundation (NRF), were also retracted from the prestigious Molecular Endocrinology and Biological Chemistry journals.

NTU has earlier in June 2016, following an unrelated investigation into allegations of research malpractice, retracted 11 academic papers authored by researchers from the National Institute of Education (NIE). Dr Noel Chia who joined NTU in 2006, promoted to Associate Professor in 2014, is the lead author of 8 papers and co-author of the other 3 papers. He was a well-known local expert in the area of special-education needs such as autism, dyslexia and dyscalculia. Of the 11 papers that came under investigation, 9 were published in the prestigious Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals (JAASEP).

I am sadden by these revelations but not surprised. I have expected these research frauds to surface much earlier.  As an NTU Associate Professor, I have been told some of most unbelievable research malpractice, and often similar things from more than one person! Here are just a few, albeit unverified:

1) The known record is nearly 40+ research papers claimed by a single staff (with various co-authors) in a single year. One Professor actually claims to have more than 1,000 publications over 15+ years, but whose expertise has remained relatively unknown!

 

2) It is “common” to have more than 10+ research papers per year claimed by a single staff (with various co-authors).

3) Many research papers claimed by a single staff (listed among first 3 authors) are in technical areas not within the staff’s known expertise, training or technical competence.

4) A paper where authorship claimed was 15th among a longer list of authors.

5) Cases of papers submitted under different titles, but with similar contents.

6) Cases of papers submitted under the same title to different journals.

7) Papers translated from their original non-English, foreign language, and claimed as one’s paper and submitted to a English-medium refereed journal.

8) …. And then some.

A Google Scholar search for the publications of senior Professors will return a lisiting of their publications and citations.

The prevalent NTU research practice of questionable ethics involves situations of "gratuitous" or "gift" authorship, where co-authors are added either by themselves or by their subordinates and where they were not involved in the research in any significant manner.  Supervisors generally expect junior Professors to include them as “co-authors” as a matter of normative practice. The latter sees evidence that those who did so would often get compensated and promotions for their generosity in gratitude.  

The Fraud Culture IS the New Normal

Especially noteworthy is the fact that the above affected Professors and staff joined the NTU and NUS at a time when the Universities have fully embraced the bogus and fraudulent World University Rankings standards.  The timing is not coincidental.

By 2010, any seriousness in research vigorousness has been abandoned.  Research integrity suffers as NUS and NTU blindly embraced THE [Times Higher Education] and QS Rankers, without demanding to examine the scientific basis of their “methodology”; especially the criterion factors selected as measures of “best” Universities, nor the population and samples of the respondents who participated in surveys purportedly conducted and whose “data” were used to compile the final annual league table rankings. 

Finally by 2014, NTU was ranked as the Top Youngest University in the World by QS Ranker, from 77^th in 2008, and ranking just 39th Worldwide.   

The new guiding principle for integrity is "the end justifies the mean”.  Authenticity has become immaterial and irrelevant as they buy into what the United Nations, UK and European Governments, as well as eminent Professors of Higher Education have already condemned as a bogus standard of questionable excellence.

Given the dodgy nature of World University Rankings and their questionable deliberate fabrication of unreliably unscientific methodologies, NTU victories to their top ranks are in essence as pyrrhic as winning a beauty contest; the mere appearance of uncertain meaningless quality.  

By flaunting the bogus World University Rankings as its fake brand of questionable quality, both NTU and NUS have flouted its blatant disregard for research integrity and ethical authenticity.  

Whither the basis of their moral authority to discipline their Professors and staff for their disdain and defiance of academic honesty and research integrity and ethics?  

Where is NUS/NTU “zero tolerance” towards the research malpractice of the World University Rankings standards?  By embracing and adopting it?

And indeed, whither NRF’s claim to “high expectations” with regard to research funding as it disburses millions of public funds to Universities who embrace and support fraudulent and bogus quality brands that have no integrity and authenticity?  

End the Culture of Fraud in Singapore Universities, now!

Integrity lights our Path to Excellence.

Do it Right and Do it Best!

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