ISM rector advises against DI analysis of Sinkevičius dissertation, urges waiting for investigation

ISM University rector Dalius Misiūnas has called for restraint in assessing Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius’ 2015 dissertation, advising against using artificial intelligence (DI) tools for analysis and instead waiting for the official investigation, LRT.lt reports.

The university’s Ethics Commission is examining a complaint regarding Sinkevičius’ dissertation, with findings to be submitted to the Academic Ethics and Procedures Controller’s Office. Misiūnas stated that ISM will not evaluate the dissertation’s content while the investigation is ongoing, emphasizing that the final assessment must come from the responsible institutions.

He defended the dissertation’s evaluation process, noting that the defence council—comprising scholars from ISM, Kaunas University of Technology, Vilnius University, and Copenhagen Business School—conducted a comprehensive review focusing on scientific novelty and originality. Misiūnas added that Sinkevičius had fulfilled all requirements for his doctoral degree, including publishing two papers in scientific journals, participating in conferences, and defending his thesis.

Addressing concerns about the dissertation’s electronic version not being uploaded to the eLABa system until recently, Misiūnas attributed the delay to human error and confirmed that similar cases had been identified. He also clarified that there is no statute of limitations for academic ethics violations, meaning current doubts must be addressed through established procedures.

Following the publication of excerpts from the dissertation that matched foreign scholars’ work without proper attribution, Misiūnas criticized the reliance on AI analysis, arguing that such tools cannot fully assess a work’s quality. He stressed that academic expertise and experience are essential for a thorough evaluation, which AI cannot provide.

Last week, Misiūnas told LRT Television that revisiting a dissertation written and defended over a decade ago risks politicization. He warned that the public discussion appeared more political than academic, though he acknowledged the need for a regulated review process.

LRT.lt noted that Sinkevičius’ dissertation contains around ten instances of direct copying from foreign publications. Questions about the work arose shortly after his appointment as prime minister, with IT specialist Artūras Paleičikas highlighting the copied sections on Facebook. Sinkevičius defended his dissertation on alcohol consumption habits and causes at ISM University in 2015.

Plagiarism expert Chorst Klaus, founder of plag.lt, stated that a preliminary analysis indicated signs of plagiarism in Sinkevičius’ work, though it was not systematic. However, one section included nearly a full page copied from another source.