Other known cases of abuse in the ETH

Case of Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta.

Dr. Paschotta's problems in his institute were different from mine. However, when it came to complaints to the ETHZ upper management and to the ETH Rat, his experience was exactly the same - answers without an answer.

His accusations were quite serious. In letter to the NZZ editor published on 15.01.2009 Dr. Paschotta, who worked at the ETHZ from 1997 till 2005, wrote:

I personally know of a glaring case in which an ETH professor with screams and vicious threats claimed the co-authorship of a whole book chapter for which she has not written a single line. In 2006, the then ETH Vice President supported this co-authorship on the single ground that this was a "borderline case, that however corresponds to the usual practice at the ETH and at many other universities.

Dr. Paschotta further speaks of the "Wall of silence encompassing the officials, the Ombudsman and the ETH Rat."

On 10.06.2009, Dr. Paschotta published an article in the NZZ under the title Korrekte Autorschaft - ein Prüfstein für redliche Forschung in which he reports exactly the same experience with the ETH Rat President Dr. Schiesser that I had:

The detailed reasoned criticism of the investigation report has never been answered, therefore, the raised accusations must be regarded as valid, since they have not been contradicted. A meeting with the ETH Rat President in early May brought the same result: no denial of the allegations, but also persistent avoidance to comment on earlier decisions and on the above-mentioned statement by the former ETH Vice President.

The same accusations were repeated in Dr. Paschotta's article in Tages Anzeiger "Integrität der wissenschaftlichen Forschung - ein gefährdetes Gut" in September 2009 and also in his article in Laborjournal "Autorschaften - Praxis und Ethik im Konflikt" on 17.06.2009.

The reaction of ETH management to these serious accusations? None so far.

Case of Dr. Paschotta gives more credibility to my statement that regular avenues for resolving conflicts are closed in the ETH.