Saturday, August 22, 2009

Needy entrepreneurial German academics

This story is from the Associated Press:

Germany: 100 Professors Suspected of Ph.D. Bribes

German prosecutors are investigating about 100 professors across the country on suspicion they took bribes to help students get their doctoral degrees, authorities said Saturday.

The investigation is focused on the Institute for Scientific Consulting, based in Bergisch Gladbach, just east of Cologne, which allegedly acted as the intermediary between students and the professors, said Cologne prosecutor's spokesman Guenther Feld.

According to … two publications, students paid between euro4,000 to euro20,000 ($5,700 to $28,500) to the company, which promised to help them get their doctorate degrees through its extensive contacts within university faculties.

So far, evidence points to the involvement of about 100 professors across the country spanning ''numerous disciplines,'' Feld was quoted as saying. Most are people teaching classes on a contract basis, rather than full-time professors, he said.

Evidently, it is possible that the students did not know they were paying for bribes.

One professor (a law professor no less) who has been convicted of a crime in connection with this scheme “said he needed the money to renovate his Hamburg mansion.”

Normally, I do not condone this sort of "argument."

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Incredible...

Both the story and Ms.Silverstone..

ES

Anonymous said...

Wow...looks like veggies are good for you afterall.

Anonymous said...

I know a vegan, they are nice people

Bohrstein said...

Vegan's hate plants, I don't trust em.

Anonymous said...

What the----? Bohrstein, say it ain't so!

How can you malign the gentle vegans, who are the ones who *consistently* avoid consuming the products of animal cruelty?

One could equally say that vegans love plants, since they only eat, wear, and otherwise consume (try, at least) plant-based products.

So: take it back, sir! Please? A bad joke, right?

I don't want anyone to have to go back into duel mode!

MAH

Bohrstein said...

A bad joke?! Well, thanks MAH.

By the way, your "Argument of Love" made me laugh when I did the following to it:
One could equally say that meat eaters love animals, since they only eat, wear, and otherwise consume (try, at least) animal-based products.

But yes, it was a joke, albeit a vague one. Go plant rights!

Anonymous said...

Uh-oh; I think you've got me there on the "Argument of Love" (itself a hilarious phrase). Yup. I can't squiggle out of it. Hell!

And I should'a known it was a joke, of course. D'oh!

I think all of the smoke and hellish, orange (yes) appearance of the sky up here from the fires has made me batty.

MAH

Bohrstein said...

Ain't no thang.

I've been watching the observatory link Reb put up. Amazing. I captured a picture of its last night up.

I think I'll go over to that post and make a comment.

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...