【編者按：賴芳雄教授是台中人，台灣大學畢業，美國堪薩斯州立大學博士，在美國麻薩諸塞大學羅爾分校塑膠工程系擔任教授三十幾年，今年退休（名譽教授）。羅爾分校的塑膠工程專業在全美排名第一，也是美國第一個授予塑膠工程本科學位的大學，賴教授是這方面的資深台灣人學者。他的這篇英文投書給了Taipei Times（台北時報），但不被刊出。對權力者的監督和評論自由是一個國家民主的重要根基。本刊獲得這篇英文後翻譯刊出，以饗讀者。】
我一直很好奇，為什麼關於蔡英文女士的博士學位問題持續了這麼長時間。這個爭議從很多角度來講都是很特別的。從學院的角度來講，這個問題應該早就解決了，因為一個學位（的有無）不是一個模糊不清、模棱兩可、或者會引起歧義的問題。這裡只有一個真實，要麼蔡女士獲得了博士學位，要麼蔡女士沒有獲得。林環牆教授展示了他的調查結果，並且得到了其他教授的佐證（賀德芬教授，徐永泰教授等）。蔡英文女士的一個捍衛者是李敦厚教授 。在典型、正常的教育體制中，應該是蔡女士本人回應這個事件。這是一個一天就可以解決的問題。然而，蔡女士卻指控教授們毀謗，甚至到法院起訴他們。這種情形的回應，在學術界是前所未有、從未聽說過的。
蔡女士博士學位是政治問題
基於如此，對此案唯一合理的理解是：蔡女士的博士學位問題不是一個學術問題，而是一個政治問題。根據她本人、總統府和她的支持者們的回應，我們只能得到一個合理的結論：蔡女士沒有通過正常的、公平合理的學術渠道獲得博士學位。事實上，有一些學位是可以用金錢購買到的。
更值得人們深思的是，我們必須質問，蔡女士為什麼不承認這個事實、了結這件事呢？因為是否有博士學位並不是做中華民國總統的必須條件。事實是，她如果承認這個事實，就會使所謂的 「中華民國」這個虛幻崩潰。30多年以來，國民黨成功地利用了蔡英文這個植入了民進黨的特洛伊木馬。台灣人民被欺騙，而且台灣人民必須承認：國民黨吞享了我們上次大選的午餐（成果）。我第一次被騙，無恥的是你；我被騙第二次，那是我的恥辱。
賴芳雄教授英文投書如下：
Dear Editor,
I have been curious how did the issue of Ms. Ing-wen Tsai's Ph.D. degree has been dragging for such a long time. This controversy is unique in many ways. From the academy standpoint, this issue shall have long been resolved. An academic degree is not an ambiguous issue. There is only one truth, either Ms. Tsai has earned her Ph.D. degree, or she did not earn it. Prof. Hwan Lin has presented the results of his research, supported by other professors (Ho, Hsu, and others). One of her academic defenders is Prof. Lee Tun-Hou. In a typical educational setting, it is up to Ms. Tsai to present her case. The matter can be resolved within a day. Instead, Ms. Tsai was accusing the professors of defamation and sued them in court. This kind of response is unheard of in the academy.
Hence, the only reasonable understanding is that Ms. Tsai's Ph.D. degree is not an academic issue, rather than a political one. Judging from her responses and by her office and supporters, we cannot but reach a reasonable conclusion. Ms. Tsai did not earn her Ph.D. degree through the standard process fair and square. Indeed, some degrees are available for sale. More significantly, we must ask why Ms. Tsai would not admit the truth and move on, since a Ph. D. degree is not required to be a president of ROC. Her admission of the fact would result in the collapse of the myth of the so-called Republic of China. KMT brilliantly used Ms. Tsai as a Trojan horse in DPP for more than 30 years. The people of Taiwan were duped and must admit that KMT ate our lunch in the last election. . Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice shame on me.
Sincerely,
Francis Lai
Professor Emeritus
Department of Plastics Engineering
University of Massachusetts Lowell
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