Allegations of misconduct Pál Schmitt academic misconduct controversy

the known extent of plagiarism in pál schmitt s dissertation. identified sources:

██ georgiev (1987)

██ heinemann (1991)

██ le mouvement olympique / olympic movement (1990)

██ olympic charter (1991)

██ defrantz (1991)

the location of approximately 2 pages worth of material drawn meranzov & georgiev (1985) in text has not yet been disclosed.

on 11 january 2012, hvg.hu published article claiming of schmitt s 1992 thesis, 180 of 215 pages, word-for-word translation of parts of bulgarian sport scholar , diplomat nikolay georgiev s 465 pages long 1987 french-language manuscript analyse du programme olympique (des jeux d’olympiade), , contained page worth of material 1985 work analysis of olympic programme hristo meranzov , nikolay georgiev. site published 12-page pdf document containing excerpts both georgiev s manuscript , schmitt s dissertation comparison. heti világgazdaság remarked schmitt s dissertation did not contain in-body citations, bibliography listing 21 pieces of literature. in bibliography place of publication of georgiev s manuscript erroneously given bulgaria, instead of lausanne, switzerland, , title of work given in hungarian, although georgiev s work has not been published in hungary. piece reported dissertation contains multitude of spelling mistakes, mistranslations , erroneous statements present in georgiev s manuscript. though reviewers of dissertation, istván kertész , ferenc takács, had multiple issues regarding dissertation, both of them gave work summa cum laude, highest rating can awarded.

on 18 january schmitt gave radio interview in stated around 30–35 pages in thesis material original him , contained conclusions drawn core material . (see below.) in response, heti világgazdaság reported that, in contrast schmitt stated in radio interview, conclusions section of thesis (a single page) part of material had been lifted georgiev s work.

on 19 january, news portal index.hu reported parts of remaining 35 pages of schmitt s dissertation translated , copied german sport sociologist klaus heinemann s 1991 work economics of sport: institution of modern sport area of economic competition. reference work found in schmitt s bibliography, again, title translated hungarian, no such translation existed. later day, heti világgazdaság—in possession of text of schmitt s dissertation—confirmed direct translation of 8 out of 9 pages of heinemann s work amounts further 17 pages of schmitt s dissertation. heti világgazdaság published five-page pdf document comparing heinemann s work , schmitt s dissertation.

on 6 march hvg.hu announced have identified further sources. according hvg.hu first few pages of schmitt s dissertation contain text 1990 educational brochure (the olympic movement / le mouvement olympique) published international olympic committee. though bibliography section of dissertation contains reference work, given in hungarian , incorrectly specified bibliographic information. text drawn olympic charter (1992) has been found in schmitt s work. hvg.hu reported 7 tables , 2 charts make appendix of schmitt s dissertation have been taken georgiev s 1987 manuscript analyse du programme olympique, without proper attribution of authorship.

the original hvg.hu research broke controversy done anonymous freelancer, , regular commenter on hvg.hu website, on stretch of 9 months, interruptions. origins of remaining circa 18 pages not known, staff of hvg.hu researching whether schmitt s own work or not.

further plagiarized sources identified readers of website index.hu on 29 march. among others, schmitt included word-by-word translations work ioc member anita defrantz without referencing @ all. (anita defrantz happens 1 recommended schmitt s daughter petra university of southern california tennis scholarship during salt lake city olympic bid. petra schmitt went on make all-american of intercollegiate tennis association.)

thesis committee conflicts of interest

conflict of interest concerns regarding doctoral thesis committee have been raised.

schmitt defended 1992 thesis before committee headed józsef tihanyi. other 4 members csaba istvánfi, late mihály nyerges , 2 reviewers, istván kertész , ferenc takács.

in article on 18 january népszabadság cited 37th section of 1985 doctoral regulations of hungarian college of physical education, stated person whom objective assessment of candidate s work cannot expected may not participate in review of doctoral dissertation. in opinion of népszabadság, istván kertész , ferenc takács both had conflicting interests, since members of council of hungarian olympic academy (moa, organization founded hungarian olympic committee), headed schmitt.

on 19 january news portal origo stated ferenc takács had been member of moa since 1985, , istván kertész became member in 1992. in 1992 both csaba istvánfi , mihály nyerges members of hungarian olympic committee (mob), , józsef tihanyi joined in 1994. ferenc takács member. schmitt president of moa between 1985 , 1990, , general secretary of mob between 1990 , 2010.

józsef tihanyi told origo hindsight unfortunate schmitt had defend dissertation before committee members members of mob, added university regulations @ time regulated conflicts of interest limited university.