Control Yuan President Wang Chien-shien yesterday spoke in support of former minister of education Chiang Wei-ling (蔣偉寧) getting his job back, calling for Chiang to be renominated as minister to “serve justice.”
Wang made the call at the Presidential Office’s monthly meeting, which is attended by the heads of the five branches of government.
Acting Minister of Education Chen Te-hua (陳德華) presented a status report on the 12-year education program and after he opened the floor to questions, Wang spoke up about Chiang, who resigned on Monday last week after being linked to a burgeoning academic paper peer-review scandal.
Photo: CNA
In announcing his resignation, Chiang said that he wanted to uphold his own reputation and avoid any unnecessary disruption of the ministry’s operations.
He had been linked to five papers on which he was listed as a coauthor, along with former National Pingtung University of Education professor Chen Chen-yuan (陳震遠), also known as Peter Chen. The main author of the papers was Chen’s twin brother, Chen Chen-wu (陳震武), a professor at National Kaohsiung Marine University.
The publisher of Journal of Vibration and Control earlier this month withdrew 60 papers submitted by Chen Chen-yuan, accusing him of creating false accounts to subvert the peer review process.
If Chiang was in any way connected to Chen Chen-yuan’s alleged peer-review ring, then he would have only himself to blame, but it has been proven that Chiang did not have any responsibility in the matter, Wang said.
“It is not acceptable that this matter [Chiang’s resignation] should simply blow over,” Wang said. “Taiwan would have no hope if there was no justice and equality.”
The government should give Chiang justice and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) should re-nominate him as minister, Wang said.
The Executive Yuan said later in the day that it was grateful for Wang’s input and respected his comments, but declined to comment further.
Additional reporting by Chung Li-hua
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