– Article published on the website romanialibera.ro –
Author. Alexandru Vlad Ciurea, AOSR member
I wish to avoid any reference to politics and politicians in this article, but its starting point is prompted by the countless plagiarism scandals related to politicians who have gone through this high scientific school and obtained the title of doctor.
To begin with, let’s clarify what the title doctor or PhD (philosophiae doctor or doctor philosophiae) means. It is an academic title indicating that its holder has completed a doctoral school and, following the work and final examination, has obtained this academic degree.
Depending on the type of school attended, there are doctorates based on purely theoretical studies, such as those in law or literature, and doctorates with a strong practical component, such as those obtained by engineers or doctors. But regardless of the size of the theoretical and practical components, doctoral study requires intense research and originality. In short, the doctoral degree means that the holder has directly participated in expanding the frontiers of knowledge in the field of study.
National education systems differ from each other, but the essence is the same – research. The study time may be different, the presentation of research results may be different from country to country or from doctoral school to doctoral school. In the European Union, similarities have been reached in this respect, with Member States adopting the same study scheme. But whatever the scheme, the essence, as I said, is the same and it means research.
The full article can be read HERE