MRU to investigate complaint over Skaistė’s doctoral dissertation

Mykolas Romeris University will begin investigating a complaint over possible academic ethics violations in lawmaker Gintarė Skaistė’s doctoral dissertation, LRT reported.

The investigation group will start work on September 1, according to Karolina Markauskaitė, head of the university’s communications department. It will have two months to submit its findings.

“Until the examination of the complaint has been completed, we cannot assess it,” Markauskaitė said.

The Office of the Ombudsperson for Academic Ethics and Procedures received the complaint on August 10 and referred it to MRU for further examination.

The complaint raises questions about the originality of the text, discrepancies in calculations and shortcomings in the presentation of results. Skaistė has said she will provide the university with all the necessary information for an objective assessment.

Skaistė earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Kaunas University of Technology in 2010, then completed a master’s degree in economics at MRU and obtained a doctorate in social sciences.

She defended her dissertation, titled “A model for assessing the impact of the institutional system on venture capital investments,” in 2016.