Questions raised over Mindaugas Sinkevičius’ doctoral degree

Questions have emerged about the legitimacy of Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius’ 2015 doctoral dissertation at ISM University of Management and Economics, with some academics and experts questioning its content, citation practices, and whether all requirements were met, LRT reports.

Sinkevičius, who earned his doctorate 11 years ago, has dismissed concerns, stating he wrote the work himself and defended it publicly. His research examined factors influencing alcohol consumption, concluding that health awareness and religious values reduce the desire to drink, while advertising encourages it.

The dissertation, which was not previously available online, has only now been uploaded to the academic electronic library after public scrutiny. Sinkevičius claims it was accessible in physical form at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania during this time.

Concerns have also been raised about whether Sinkevičius met the publication requirements for his defense. Doctoral candidates at Lithuanian universities typically must publish at least two scientific articles before submitting their dissertation. Archival researcher Daiva Vilkelytė noted that one of Sinkevičius’ articles was submitted for publication in 2015 but was only received by Vilnius University in 2016.

“Doctoral candidates must have published two scientific articles before submitting their dissertation for final review by the committee. These articles must meet certain criteria. In exceptional cases, they may be accepted for publication but not yet published,” said Aušra Maslauskaitė, professor at Vytautas Magnus University’s Sociology Department.

ISM University maintains that Sinkevičius fulfilled all doctoral requirements and that the decision to award his degree was made by an international dissertation defense council. The university does not plan to review the defended dissertation, stating that methodological inaccuracies can occur in any work and that public opinions do not constitute grounds to question the scholars’ decision.

Further discussions have arisen about potential plagiarism, with some noting that parts of Sinkevičius’ work allegedly match other texts word-for-word. Sinkevičius remains calm, stating that he wrote the work himself and that any minor errors identified would not be substantial.

“I think we expect that politicians, especially those holding the highest offices, are honest and principled—not just in their political activities but in all aspects of life,” said Ignas Kalpokas, a docent at Vytautas Magnus University.