So far, Austria has been considered a problem country when it comes to scientific plagiarism, but now Switzerland has caught it.

Ironically, at the renowned St. Gallen University (HSG), the President of the University Council, Education Director Stefan Kölliker, feels compelled to release two HSG professors.

Reason are "plagiarism questions".

But it is also about the management of a research institute, which is managed by both of them in co-directorship.

The exemptions are justified because of "the growing suspicion of significant violations of scientific integrity." There is also a risk of being frustrated.

We now want to ensure undisturbed reconnaissance.

In the past few days, the Swiss press had reported extensively on the allegations.

A professor copied large parts of his dissertation and habilitation.

This means that "the academic excellence of the HSG is at stake," commented the Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

The “NZZ am Sonntag” first reported on the plagiarism in September.

The accused professor is also said to have published theses by students under his name.

Kölliker, who is also head of education for the canton of St.Gallen, announced a “disclosure campaign” to the FAZ.

Until March 31, 2023, "all employees, lecturers and students" can contact an independent lawyer.

He will forward any discrepancies to a three-person committee: “We want to make all the hurdles as small as possible.

It's really about cleaning things up for us.” Compliance has improved significantly in recent years.

We now want to settle all old cases.

Kölliker: "Of course we hope that not too much will come to light." In any case, there are currently no indications of further plagiarism.

A serial plagiarist?

The Salzburg scientist Stefan Weber published an initial analysis of the plagiarism in his blog.

Weber points out that the professor was "acquitted" by the St. Gallen Integrity Commission in May 2022.

Rector Bernhard Ehrenzeller explains his university's about-face with Weber's new findings.

Now look at the habilitation again.

The university in Darmstadt is responsible for examining the dissertation.

The reason for today's decision is that the accused professor published a student work under his own name in at least one case.

The professor recently deleted this publication from his bibliography.

"We had to act now," says Ehrenzeller of the FAZ. In practice, the exemption means that the professor is no longer allowed to enter the campus and can no longer issue instructions.

In addition, his email address was blocked.

The salary will continue to be paid.

It will “not take forever” until a final decision is made.

Weber describes the accused professor as a "serial plagiarist"; a few days ago he also found takeovers in an essay published in 2004, the severity of which puts all previous finds in the shade.

According to research by the FAZ, a text by the professor from 2005 in the journal "logistik management" could also have been plagiarized.

It bears a resemblance to a 1998 article in the “Language Mirror”.

So far, there have only been two known cases of double plagiarism in doctoral and postdoctoral studies in German-speaking countries.

Both double plagiarisms were documented by the science platform "VroniPlag Wiki".