Dr. David Turpin, President & Vice-Chancellor
University of Alberta
Dr. Turpin,
I am writing to share my opinions and the reasons why I believe that it is wrong for the University of Alberta to award an Honorary Doctorate to David Suzuki.
Many Canadians from the oil and gas industry have voiced objections to the university’s decision. My reasons have nothing to do with oil.
Two days ago, The University of Alberta said that it champions freedom of thought and academic integrity above all else. This is precisely why it makes no sense for the University to award one of its highest honours to David Suzuki.
Before I continue, please allow me to quote from the University of Alberta’s own policy on Research and Scholarship Integrity:
“Research is a cornerstone of advancement in arts, humanities, sciences, and professions. Excellence in research and scholarship depends on the creativity, hard work and dedication of its practitioners. It also depends on integrity. Dishonesty and fabrication fundamentally undermine the worth and usefulness of research and other scholarly work. Even when untainted by fraud, scholarly work must meet other standards of ethics and integrity.”
Your policy says, as follows: “Breaches of integrity (also) offend society. Society places a trust in university scholars and researchers not only to pursue knowledge, but to do so in a manner that respects and promotes fundamental values of honesty, fairness, beneficence and freedom from exploitation.”
Over and over, David Suzuki and his foundation have violated the commonly held good practices of the scientific community and flouted its standards of academic and scientific integrity. Suzuki’s false claims about research findings with regards to contaminants in farmed salmon and the impacts of sea lice on wild salmon are clear examples of how David Suzuki and his foundation have stooped to prevaricating about some of their own foundation’s research, in disregard of the truth. Detailed evidence of this is provided elsewhere at this blog and in my papers:
- Research on Contaminants in Farmed Salmon: Science or Marketing?
- Sea Lice Research: Science or Marketing?
Years ago, with the encouragement of the Vice-Dean of Research at the University of Alberta, I submitted a formal complaint of apparent scientific misconduct regarding the sea lice research that was partially funded and publicized by the David Suzuki Foundation in conjunction with the UofA’s Centre for Mathematical Biology. That complaint and request for proper investigation was supported by the B.C. Council of Resource Community Mayors and the Aboriginal Aquaculture Association.
In asking the UofA to investigate the apparent scientific fraud that was being perpetrated by the David Suzuki Foundation and the UofA’s Centre for Mathematical Biology, the Aboriginal Aquaculture Association noted activism in academia as one of the forces that keeps First Nations in poverty. Surely it is absurd to award an honorary doctorate to anyone involved in that.
After months of leading me to believe that the University of Alberta would properly investigate my well-documented complaint, it was dismissed by the University without any investigation whatsoever. The University removed the key on-line documents that implicated the Centre for Mathematical Biology and the student who was at the centre of the matter, Martin Krkosek, was awarded not only a doctorate but also the Gold Medal of the Governor General of Canada. The David Suzuki Foundation quietly removed more than 20 press releases and articles that I had identified as containing false or inaccurate information – but no apology and nothing was done to correct the scientific record.
My hope for the University of Alberta is that you will turn your current crisis into an opportunity to establish proper standards for scientific integrity and its enforcement. Good first steps would be 1) acknowledge that the University has made errors and 2) make amends.
I sincerely hope you make the right decisions, not only for the sake of your university but for our country.
Sincerely,
Vivian Krause, @FairQuestions
Letter to Dr. Turpin, President & Vice-Chancellor of the University of Alberta: Click here.
See also:
- What Got Me Started: A Complaint of Apparent Scientific Misconduct
- Sea Lice Research Publicity: Executive Summary of Complaint of Apparent Scientific Misconduct
- Quietly Removed: 23 press releases and articles removed by David Suzuki Foundation
- $13 Million paid to the David Suzuki Foundation
- When David Suzuki Told Me To F*** Off
- U.S. tax returns showing payments from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund to The David Suzuki Foundation for "organizing First Nations" and a campaign to keep a moratorium on oil and gas exploration on the coast of British Columbia.
- David Suzuki's Fish Story, The Financial Post, March 14, 2011
- Suzuki's Funding, The Financial Post, April 19, 2012
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