University investigates plagiarism accusations against professor

The Board of the University of Groningen was informed this week about the decision by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) to strip Mr P.J.V. van Calster of his doctor’s title due to plagiarism in his PhD thesis. Mr van Calster was awarded a PhD in 2005 by the VUB. He has been professor of Criminology at the University of Groningen since 2010; previous to that he was an associate professor at the University of Leiden .

The Board of the University of Groningen has decided to immediately suspend Mr van Calster while waiting for the results of further investigation into his integrity. This investigation will be conducted in cooperation with the University of Leiden.

Zero tolerance policy

Prof. Elmer Sterken, Rector Magnificus of the University of Groningen, says that the decision of the Board of the University was ‘unavoidable’, given that Van Calster had been stripped of his PhD. ’It should be quite clear by now that we have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to academic integrity. However, we will first have to start further investigations before we can take a definitive decision’, explains the Rector.

More information

Contact: University of Groningen Communication office, tel.: (+31) (0)50 363 44 44