Committee of Concerned Scientists

An international non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

An independent non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.
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Revocation of Degree Four Years Later Leads to Protest by Vietnamese Academics

Hanoi National University of Education awarded Do Thi Thoan a Masters Degree in 2010, after it received the highest possible evaluation. In 2014, another committee revoked the degree without explanation to Ms. Thoan. Her research adviser was fired. Suspecting politics, almost 300 Vietnamese academics, in Vietnam and abroad, protested the lack of due process in revoking the degree. CCS joined in demanding reversal of the University’s decision and reinstatement of the degree and the research adviser.

Professor Nguyen Van Minh
President, Hanoi National University of Education
136 Xuan Thuy Street, Cau Giay District
Ha Noi, Vietnam

May 2, 2014

Dear President Van Minh:

We write now in concern for Ms. Do Thi Thoan (pen name Nha Thuyen) who was awarded a Masters Degree from your university in 2010, after receiving the University’s highest possible evaluation from the assessment committee.

Apparently, Ms. Thoan’s Masters thesis was later reviewed by another committee, which then revoked her degree in Decisions 667/QD-DHSPHN and 708/QD-DHSPHN, both issued in March 2014. These actions occurred without disclosure to Ms. Thoan or her thesis supervisor and neither of them was presented with any evidence of serious academic error. The University ignored requests from Ms. Thoan and her supervisor for explanation and an opportunity to disagree.

We strongly believe that these actions on the part of the University will seriously harm the reputation of your academic institution. Revocation of a previously earned Masters Degree without following basic principles of due process implies that the decision was based solely on politics and not on academic credentials.

We join the 166 academics in Vietnam and the 100 overseas Vietnamese academics who are signatories of an open letter to Hanoi National University of Education, demanding that the revocation of Ms. Thoan’s Masters Degree be reversed. We urge that you honor their demands in the interest of academic freedom and fairness. We also urge you to reinstate Associate Professor Nguyen Thi Binh, who seems to be punished for her association with Ms. Thoan’s Degree and has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Sincerely,

Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich,
Eugene M. Chudnovsky, and Alexander Greer

Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists

Copies to:

Dr. Pham Vu Luan, Minister of Education and Training 49 Dai Co Viet Street Ha Noi, Vietnam

Who We Are

Co-chairs

Joel L. Lebowitz, Rutgers University

Paul H. Plotz, M.D., Washington, DC

Walter Reich, George Washington University

Eugene Chudnovsky, Lehman College

Alexander Greer, Brooklyn College

Vice-chairs

Astronomy – Arno Penzias, New Enterprises Associates*

Biology – Max E. Gottesman, Columbia University

Chemistry – Zafra Lerman, MIMSAD Inc.

Computer Science – Rachelle Heller, The George Washington University

Computer Science – Jack Minker, University of Maryland, College Park

Engineering – Philip Sarachik, NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering

Mathematics – Simon Levin, Princeton University

Medical Sciences – J. Joseph Blum, Duke University

Honorary Board Members

Nancy Andrews, Duke University

David Baltimore, California Institute of Technology*

Alan J. Bard, University of Texas

Jacob Bigeleisen (deceased), SUNY, Stony Brook

Raoul Bott (deceased), Harvard University

Owen Chamberlain (deceased), University of California, Berkeley

Stanley Deser, Brandeis University

Edward Gerjuoy, University of Pittsburg

David Gross, (2004 Nobel Prize in Physics), Kavil Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara*

Pierre Hohenberg (deceased), New York University

Walter Kohn (deceased), University of California, Santa Barbara*

James Langer, University of California, Santa Barbara

Peter Lax, New York University

Louis Nirenberg, New York University

Marshall Nirenberg (deceased), National Institutes of Health*

Honorary Board Members

John C. Polanyi, University of Toronto*

Stuart Rice, University of Chicago

Sir Richard J. Roberts, (1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology & Medicine), New England Biolabs*

Myriam Sarachick, City College of New York

Harold Scheraga, Cornell University

Sylvan Schweber (deceased), Brandeis University

Maxine Singer, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Alfred I. Tauber, Boston University

Steven Weinberg, University of Texas, Austin*

Myrna Weissman, Columbia University

Rosalyn S. Yalow (deceased), Mount Sinai School of Medicine*

* Nobel laureate