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MAKING PEANUT OF STUDENT'S RESEARCH: Three USP Chemistry Lecturers stand accused of PLAGIARIZING Solomon Island Student's Research - one has 'left' for South Afirca, and Two are STILL at USP!

9/2/2015

21 Comments

 

RESPONDING to the Directive from VC Rajesh Chandra to all at USP to keep "scandals and scams" hidden from the media and the general public (see Dictatorship at USP, Fijileaks), one disgruntled staffer has sent us the following, wanting to know WHY the accused lecturers are still being allowed to strut around the campus teaching as if NOTHING has happened at all - what has happened to the Plagiarism Investigation Report?: "Fijileaks, Fiji media is sleepwalking.You are our only hope to fight injustice and hypocrisy."

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ROBBED OF HIS BREAKTHROUGH DISCOVERY ON POTENTIAL CURE FOR DIABETES AND CANCER: "The investigation that was undertaken had “proven beyond doubt” that the three Professors, including one from a university in South Africa had plagiarised [my] work. I was never acknowledged for the work. But every data that they presented was the same as all the data I had in my databank. They simply didn’t have any original data.These three professors and a PhD student were just about to publish my work in an international publication when we found out. We promptly stopped the publication of my work...
I won’t rest until the Vice Chancellor has announced the penalty against the offending professors”
Dickson Boboria, the young Solomon Island's Scientist

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THE UNIVERSITY of the South Pacific (USP) in Suva, Fiji, is reportedly trying to put a lid on serious allegations of plagiarism being leveled against four of its science professors, two of whom have since left.

It all began last year when Solomon Islands science student, Dickson Boboria of Malaita made a discovery that holds the potential for the cure of diabetes and cancer.

According to on-Campus sources, Mr. Boboria approached the USP Science Department to buy him a machine so he could conduct his experiment. The USP Campus denied the request on the grounds the machine was “very expensive.”

It did not deter young Boboria.

Boboria turned to a simple syringe to prove his initial findings that peanuts have medicinal properties for the cure of cancer and diabetes. The tests confirmed the discovery to the point that Boboria’s work was only one step away from manufacturing tablets for trialing.

Boboria provided all the data and a report on his discovery to his professor. He returned to Honiara to do some part time work in order to pay for the costs associated with his work.

Without his knowledge, his Professor allegedly got together with three others including one from Australia and published his work without his knowledge or his permission. Two other Professors, Prof Vimlesh Chand and Surendra Prasad presented Boboria’s work at a regional conference held at the Fiji National University (FNU) last year.

Boboria was never acknowledged for the work. Instead, the four Professors allegedly claimed the work was theirs.

As soon as the issue of plagiarism became known last year, Professor Tevita Voro, resigned on the pretext of getting a new job in South Africa. One other Professor allegedly involved in plagiarizing Boboria’s work had also left for the United States.

Plagiarism is a serious crime, according to USP rules and By-laws.

Now the USP Administration, which refused to invest any money into Boboria’s initial work is putting pressure on the student to enter a contract which would hand-over the rights or patent for the discovery to the USP.

Boboria has reportedly refused USP’s request to sign over his work to the USP.

Sources said the USP is also begging young Boboria not to go to the media about this, as the alleged involvement of the Professors in plagiarism would tarnish the image of the regional institution.


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THE UNIVERSITY of the South Pacific (USP) has launched an investigation into a media report carried in this paper accusing USP Professors of stealing a local student’s work.

The front page report accused USP of trying to put a lid on serious allegations of plagiarism being leveled against four of its science professors for stealing the work of young Dickson Boboria of Malaita, who made a discovery that holds the potential for the cure of diabetes and cancer.

In a statement sent to the Island Sun, USP said it has taken the complaint seriously which has gone through the Preliminary Investigation Committee (PIC) phase, which is the first stage of investigating such grievances at the University. USP said the findings of this Committee is confidential to the person(s) bringing the case and the staff member(s) concerned. “In this case, the student will be informed of the outcome and the reasons for their decision as soon as the process is completed. “The University wishes to reiterate that it places a lot of emphasis on academic staff complying with all ethical policies, procedures and regulations, and within the accepted professional protocols for their discipline, in particular, academic staff are required to be fair in giving due credit in publications to the research work of and other contributions from students under the staff’s supervision. The University said it would like to assure the general public and their stakeholders that USP has Policies and Procedures on such matters and it will address issues such as this expeditiously and relay the outcome to the parties concerned.

According to on-Campus sources, Mr. Boboria approached the USP Science Department to buy him a machine so he could conduct his experiment. The USP Campus denied the request on the grounds the machine was “very expensive.” It did not deter young Boboria. Boboria turned to a simple syringe to prove his initial findings that peanuts have medicinal properties for the cure of cancer and diabetes. The tests confirmed the discovery to the point that Boboria’s work was only one step away from manufacturing tablets for trialing. Boboria provided all the data and a report on his discovery to his professor. He returned to Honiara to do some part time work in order to pay for the costs associated with his work.

Without his knowledge, his Professor allegedly got together with three others including one from Australia and published his work without his knowledge or his permission. Two other Professors, Prof Vimlesh Chan(d) and Surrendra Prasad presented Boboria’s work at a regional conference held at the Fiji National University (FNU) last year. Boboria was never acknowledged for the work. Instead, the four Professors allegedly claimed the work was theirs.


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DICKSON BOBORIA, the young Solomon Islands scientist whose work was ‘stolen’ and published by three Laucala Campus Professors without his knowledge has arrived back in Honiara after winning the case against the Suva-based University of the South Pacific (USP).

In an exclusive interview with the Island Sun newspaper on the weekend, Boboria who is working towards his MSc, said despite assurance from the USP Administration that an announcement on the penalty against the Professors was imminent, nothing has been forthcoming.

“Each time I inquired HR (Human Resources department) keeps telling me it will be next week. It just goes on forever,” he said. “In the end I simply told them I am returning to Solomon Islands.” Mr. Boboria arrived last week.

He thanked Island Sun newspaper for breaking the story last October, saying had it not been for the courage the paper has taken in exposing the report, his fight against the USP establishment would remain under the carpet. In his view, regional politics has taken over his case. But I won’t rest until the Vice Chancellor has announced the penalty against the offending professors,” Mr. Boboria said.

He said plagiarism is the number one offence at the USP
. “Any student caught plagiarising someone’s work is automatically dismissed. I want to see what penalty the professors would receive,” the young Malaita scientist said.

Boboria said the investigation that was undertaken had “proven beyond doubt” that the three Professors, including one from a university in South Africa had plagiarised his work.

“I was never acknowledged for the work. But every data that they presented was the same as all the data I had in my databank. They simply didn’t have any original data.”

“These three professors and a PhD student were just about to publish my work in an international publication when we found out. We promptly stopped the publication of my work.”

Boboria’s work was on peanut which he discovered has the potential for curing cancer and diabetes. He was only a step away from turning his discovery into manufacturing tablets for trialling when he ran out of money. Boboria said he had the scientific expertise for turning many herbal medicine that are in use in Solomon Islands into drugs, which can bring in billions of dollars into the economy. “All I need is a scientific laboratory to do my work. I just hope that the Government recognises my work and do something about it because we have the potential for producing our own medicine,” Boboria said.

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RUNNING AWAY WITH HIS RESEARCH: Dickson Boboria with boys in Ulawa doing physical parameter scanning and chemical parameter scanning of Liwe-ni-Esi water source Ulawa Island.
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The Whistle-blower to Fijileaks:

"thks for exposing the rot and hypocrisy at USP. VC Rajesh Chandra has been boasting about the systems and processes at USP and complaining about staff resorting to external avenues to lodge grievances. well,here is an example of why staff do not trust the VC  or the USP system.

Someone wrote VC manipulates the system to protect favoured staff. ONE staff who plagiarised a students work and presented it as his own is walking and working around USP as normal. This is despite usp promising to  investigate the matter. To the contrary,the staff received an award at the VC's research awards ceremony recently.

I have provided a link to the awards night usp ceremony article. in the picture, the alleged plagiarizer is standing next to dean angela jokhan.he is wearing glasses. The plagiariser also sent out a call for papers(see email below) and will continue teaching.How can a staff who is being inve4stigated for plagiarism be allowed to do this?

The staff concerned,assoc. prof surendra kumar, is deemed a high volume researcher so his dean angela jokhan and the VC are protecting him. this is the kind of false image USP's reputation is built on.

USP is employing double  standards - students are taken to task for plagiarism but certain staff get away with it. This is just one example of how the VC and his cronies like angela manipulate the system and deceive the public. I hope you draw attention to this.  Fiji media is sleepwalking. you are our only hope to fight injustice and hypocrisy.

see the following: USP launch investigations http://www.islandsun.com.sb/index.php/latest-news/national/7003-usp-launch-investigations
 
USP Celebrates Research Excellence with Research Awards Evening
http://www.research.usp.ac.fj/?p=1603

Photo of Dr Prasad:
http://www.usp.ac.fj/index.php?id=6764  

(Research and Graduate Affairs) PAPER SUBMISSION INVITATION: Vol. 33, 2015

The South Pacific Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences (SPJNAS) 
invites the original research articles, review articles, short communications and book reviews in all areas of pure and applied sciences. We expect that the work submitted for publication has not been published before, except in the form of an abstract, and it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.


The SPJNAS is a peer-reviewed journal published by Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia, on behalf of the Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment, The University of the South Pacific. The primary purpose is to enable the timely communication of information on scientific research carried out mostly on Pacific matters and contribute to the development of Pacific Science and Technology. However, any work of specific or general interest and implications to the Pacific region from anywhere in the world will be considered for publication, and authors based in countries outside the region are also encouraged to submit the papers.


Please submit soft copy of your paper (in MS word, one file including Tables, Figures, etc.) to the Editor-in-Chief– Associate Professor Surendra Prasad (prasad_su@usp.ac.fj). You may also submit your paper directly to Associate Editors in your disciplines. The Associate Editors, e-mail contacts, and instructions to the authors are given on the CSIRO website (please visit http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/248/aid/9971.htm).


Note:
1. Last date for submission of research articles for publication in Vol. 33 is 28th February 2015. 2. The SPJNAS charges AU$50 per page for publication of paper if paper goes beyond 4, 8 and 12 formatted pages for short communication, full paper and review article respectively.   3. For USP purposes (Outputs and Awards), the Research Office has accepted SPJNAS as B-ranked journal.  

Kind regards,  

S. Prasad Assoc. 
Prof
. Surendra Prasad
Chair (Editor-in-Chief), SPJNAS Editorial Board, Associate Professor of Chemistry,   School of Biological and Chemical Sciences,   Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment,   The University of the South Pacific,  Suva, Fiji  ​

Fijileaks: We have asked all those accused in articles in the Island Sun (Honiara) and in the e-mail to Fijileaks for comments but so far we have received no comments.
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21 Comments
OneWord
9/2/2015 07:04:13 am

Shame!

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Yep
9/2/2015 12:06:59 pm

The rot just keeps piling up at USP under regime lackey VC and President Rajesh Chandra. He is a tatti VC.

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USP VALUES
9/2/2015 12:51:24 pm

The value of USP degrees will continue to slide downwards as controversy after controversy continue under VC Chandra.

Regional government should take stock of its investments in the future education of it's future generation.

The Chair of USP Council and VC should immediately vacate their positions so a new lease of life and confidence and pride can once again be restored to once a prestigious institution.

Our future generation deserve better.

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RESIGN NOW PROFESSOR CHANDRA
9/2/2015 01:47:20 pm

VC Rajesh Chandra if you have any dignity or decency you should resign immediately for mishandling a serious case of alleged plagiarism.

there is no more confidence in your leadership. You have failed in your fiduciary duty to protect the interest of students - students whose welfare that govts and parents entrust you with.

you are a failure as a VC, and possibly a fraud for trying to cover up staff plagiarism.

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Padmini
9/2/2015 01:58:52 pm

This report puts VC's earlier statement insisting staff use USP processes and channels into proper context. VC and people like Angela Jokhan can manipulate the system.

This complaint about plagiarism was made in October 2014 but by January 2015 no action taken! In fact, the culprits are carrying on with their academic activities. This would be shocking by any standards except by USP VC Rajesh Chandra's standards.

the wheels of justice take a long time to creak into action when it comes to certain USP staff! Reeks of favourtism and nepotism.

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The USP stink
9/2/2015 02:19:23 pm

Victor, you have done a tremendous job gathering and assembling the evidence which hides a sinister plot to deny the student and the Solomon Islands government.

Yes, the compliant was made in October. Around November or December, the alleged plagiarizer was fettered and honored at a USP awards function when he should been suspended due to the prima farcie evidence against him, along with any awards he was due to receive. Notice how the suspected plagiarizer takes place of prominence beside dean angela jokhan. This is very significant in light of what Victor has revealed. It adds weight to allegations that VC Rajesh Chandra and dean angela jokhan are attempting to cover up this case because they are using the plagiarizer to boost their own professional profile, the faculty profile and USP profile.

USP is a house cards and its VC the emperor with no clothes.

The rot has set in deeply at USP under VC Rajesh Chandra.

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WANTOK
9/2/2015 02:24:20 pm

SOLOMON ISLAND GOVT, STUDENTS AND PEOPLE BETRAYED BY USP VC RAJESH CHNADRA AND DEAN ANGELA JOKHAN.

SOLOMON ISLAND STUDENTS SHOULD RISE IN PROTEST AGAINST THE SHABBY TREATMENT OF THEIR WANTOK BY THE USP MAFIA.

SOLOMON ISLAND GOVT SHOULD DEMAND THE RESIGNATION RAJESH CHANDRA AND ANGELA JOKHAN OR WITHDRAW THEIR STUDENTS.

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Kaiviti
9/2/2015 05:36:26 pm

WANTOK BROTHERS SHOULD BRING THIS ISSUE UP IN THE OPEN AT THE USPSA FORUM AND ALL REGIONAL STUDENTS SHOULD DEMAND AN ANSWER BY THE USP MANAGEMENT IMMEDIATELY OTHERWISE THE SUBJECT PROFESSOR AND DEAN OF FSTE TOGETHER WITH THE VC SHOULD RESIGNED NOW....SHAME SHAME SHAME ON USP!

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Angela Jokhan resign now
9/2/2015 02:30:07 pm

Angela Jokhan has has failed in her duty as dean. her faculty harbors staff plagiarizers. She has failed to protect the interest of her students. she has brought disrepute to usp by her failure to act. it is dereliction of duty on her part. she should resign or be sacked.

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Rajend Naidu
9/2/2015 03:30:45 pm

The more you read about USP these days the more it sounds like what the critics of Fiji Football Association use to say : it's all clique work.

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jhut squade
9/2/2015 08:01:45 pm

Chor sala Assistant ??/ Proff....## Sweat for your formular.. and invention..aaj kaal, jharokha niwase jhut dean maro.
Expose them all.

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Anit Singh
9/2/2015 10:11:21 pm

Bravo Fijileaks! Bravo Victor!

You are truly a savior to the victims, Victor - You give voice to the voiceless.

As victims of IP Theft ourselves, we feel totally onetok, in sync and in sympathy with young Dickson Boboria of Solomon Islands. We feel in togetherness with Boboria’s , hurt, betrayal, anger, powerlessness and in his inability to comprehend how /why some people - powerful people, educated people, people who should be exemplary to others - can stoop so, so, Low so as to STEAL - in so sly and so shameless a manner, something they KNOW does not belong to them, something which is a precious little ‘gem’ of an intellectual creation of someone else.

But we stand in solidarity with Boboria towards our single-minded determination to do something-about the gross INJUSTICE of it all.

Our IP are our IP - and how can someone, anyone just STEAL with such impunity?

We must become ambassadors of creating awareness of and about Intellectual Property rights and copy rights and how to protect them from unscrupulous thieves.

No Fiji Media, not a single one, up to the present day, has published the TRUTH about the ‘Fiji First’ name Chori Story- Why?

Because the two CHORS – Bainimarama (Prime Minister) and Aiyaz (AG, ++) are just about the most POWERFUL People (CHORs) in our country. Understandably, Fiji Media feels Shy asking Powerful people – If they are, indeed, CHORs?

But that does NOT negate the FACT that they (Bainimarama and Aiyaz) are also the most pitiable Intellectual Property Thieves (CHORS).

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Sounds too good to be true!
11/2/2015 04:09:22 am

- peanuts as a potential for curing cancer and diabetes?
- a simple syringe to prove initial findings that peanuts have medicinal properties for the cure of cancer and diabetes?
- bring in billions of dollars into the economy?
- only one step away from manufacturing tablets for trialing?

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hmmm....
12/2/2015 02:24:34 am

didnt know peanuts are that damn good. why not just eat them to cure cancer and diabetes....better than chemotherapy i guess :-)

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Abhe o chutiya
11/2/2015 01:29:07 pm

This is for your personal reflection only Victor, self-appointed investigative journalist. You can't damage usp with your lies and speculation as the VC's and Angela Jokhan's record speak for themselves. Dr Surendra Prasad is a renowned scientist. You are someone who is trying to make a name through tarnishing other's reputation based on speculation. For your information life is normal at USP, We just had a very successful orientation. Your speculation has had zero impact. Fijileaks is just farting in the wind, lol.

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Abhe o chutiya
11/2/2015 01:34:31 pm

Here, read for yourself your dorky dickhead:

Hundreds flock to FBE Orientation
http://www.usp.ac.fj/news/story.php?id=1741

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Fijileaks Editor
11/2/2015 03:17:31 pm

Abhe o chutiya

First, go and argue with the Solomon Star which ran the story.

We asked all those accused for comments but so far they have not replied.

Thirdly, describing your name in the vulgar language will result in you being thrown out of the site

Finally, by giving a false e-mail address Fijisher@yahho.com automatically leads to us throwing you off this site

Thanks

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THE FACTS
12/2/2015 01:54:54 am

This was a USP funded staff project on peanut analysis, which was initiated and designed by the staff members,who then obtained funding for it and were also the original executors of the project.

A student Dickson claims he found potential cure for cancer and diabetes in peanuts. In fact, peanuts have been linked to cancer recently (http://news.liv.ac.uk/2014/12/19/peanut-component-linked-cancer-spread/), (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-64142/Cancer-link-peanut-butter.html)

This looks like ploy to tarnish the image of successful academics at USP, perhaps, but unsuccessful in the process? Some very desperate people indeed!

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USP FSTE Insider
12/2/2015 02:38:52 pm

Victor do not be deterred by the likes of chutiya who are part of the USP plagiarism scandal cover up. Young Dickson may be a bit overenthusiastic in his claims. But there us prima farcie evidence of his work being plagiarized. This is the issues at hand.

USP VC Rajesh Chnadra and Dean Angela Jokhan are involved in a major cover up. The internal processes and channels at USP are contriolled by the VC. They kept using delaying tactics ans never informed Dickson of any outcome.

Now they are coming to this site and claiming there is nothing to the investigation. If so, why wasn't this case cleared up earlier. It's only when fijileaks created a stink people started jumping up and down.

Believe me Victor, you gave everyone here a real scare. Keep on investigating this scam please. there is much more to it. all FSTE staff know this. without fijileaks Dickson has no hope against the powerful USP establishment trying to steal his work.

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Anjela involved in a major cover up?
12/2/2015 04:33:13 pm

seriously, you are not kidding, are you? how did you even come to that conclusion as an FSTE insider? Anjela actually created this mess herself in the first place and it has backfired against her big time. she thought that she could make a case to get revenge against some FSTE staff she did not like. anjela got the assistance of her associate dean, the student and some other staff and tried their best to make a fake case due to personal differences with their fellow colleagues. somehow, they did not play their game well enough and ended up messing up the whole saga. the USP independent committee investigating the case threw out the case in their face. Anjela and her party must be regretting because they had the student on their team to build up a fake case and now he has changed sides and is coming against them, the VC and USP as a whole. now indirectly, anjela and her associates are now bringing disrepute to their own employer, USP! What a mess! wonder how they show their faces to their boss the VC, who must be under huge pressure because of this unwarranted mess? her associate dean did not give her very good advice with respect to this case. how must they both be feeling for bringing USP in the limelight for the wrong reasons? the VC should be asking her and her associate dean some very hard questions for bringing USP into disrepute by resorting to dubious means to settle her personal differences with her FSTE staff. Poor VC!

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Pasifiki Aelanda
28/9/2015 06:52:35 am

The VC, 3 lecturers and some of the FSTE staff are con people. USP has told its students over the years that copying someone else's work is a huge academic crime (very serious academic). They are very strict on some students and let some off the hook. USP now is a huge disappointment becos of some of the people in there controlling things. Why let those professors off the hook when they have committed a very very serious academic crime (a very serious academic sin indeed). Its a shame that they tried to cover up these times. It is such practices by some lecturers that USP is losing its credibility nowadays. USP is now a huge disappointment. What a Uni, lecturers stealing poor students' work. Those lecturers will not live long, they are cheaters, crooks and thiefs. They are those the ones that will contributing in making USP lose its credibility.

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