Minister fires university rector for plagiarism

The education and science minister has fired the rector of the Russian State Social University after she allegedly heavily plagiarised her doctoral thesis, reports The Moscow Times.

The dissertation of Lidia Fedyakina, who was appointed rector in 2012, contained "serious flaws" and a number of "incorrect borrowings", Izvestia reported last week, citing a report by the Higher Attestation Committee, which reviewed the thesis at a recent meeting.

The committee also said in its report that Fedyakina, who defended her thesis five years ago, could not be fired for plagiarism because the three-year grace period had expired. Nevertheless, Education and Science Minister Dmitry Livanov sacked Fedyakina (33) last Monday. The university's management has since filed a lawsuit to contest the decision, its honorary president was cited as saying by Interfax.
Full report on The Moscow Times site