Lithuanian university to probe PM over possible academic ethics breach

ISM University of Management and Economics said on Friday that it would open an inquiry into a possible breach of academic ethics by Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius.

The institution’s Ethics Committee has decided to review a complaint forwarded by the Office of the Ombudsperson for Academic Ethics and Procedures. The complaint concerns alleged violations linked to Sinkevičius’s doctoral dissertation. ISM stressed that academic ethics cases are processed under uniform rules for all students and graduates, regardless of their position or status.

A final decision will be made after all information collected during the investigation has been assessed and the parties concerned have been heard. Under current regulations, the decision must be reached within 30 calendar days, excluding the summer holiday period. The university expects to announce its conclusions by the end of September.

Discussions about possible plagiarism in the dissertation have recently intensified both among the public and the political opposition. Sinkevičius has repeatedly denied the allegations, saying he prepared his doctoral work ethically and in line with academic standards.

Sinkevičius earned a master’s degree in marketing and management from ISM in 2009 and defended his doctoral dissertation at the same university in 2015.