Written by Qianhui 2022 Cohort
Plagiarism refers to presenting someone else’s work as your own without giving proper credit. This article will look closely at how plagiarism is treated in Chinese and Canadian cultures.
In China
In China, there is a strict policy towards plagiarism, but it is still a common practice among students. There are several reasons for this situation. Firstly, a need for awareness of intellectual property rights. Secondly, inconsistent enforcement by teachers. In other words, they only follow the policy sometimes. For example, a student was caught copying some paragraphs from a senior’s math essay. Then his math grades were cancelled.
While another student was found copying part of a published academic paper to his essay for a swimming theory lesson, the teacher just turned a blind eye to it and let go. That was because the teacher considered the sports theory course an elective. It doesn’t matter whether students did the research by themselves or not. In most cases, the penalty depends on the teachers instead of the policy. So students know when they can do plagiarism without being punished. Thirdly, easy access to free academic resources.
Of course, they are illegal. But when too many people use it, it seems harmless to copy one or two paragraphs from the vast database. Well, that’s what many students think and do. I have to say that plagiarism has been a long-standing problem in Chinese universities, and the solution is yet to come.
In Canada
By contrast, plagiarism is taken much more seriously in Canada. In Simon Fraser University, from Principles and Procedures for Student Discipline (University Board on Student Discipline Policies and Procedures Simon Fraser University (sfu.ca) ca), we can see part of the penalties: “denial of admission or re-admission to the University; suspension or permanent suspension from the University; revocation of a degree and return of the student’s transcript and degree, certificate or diploma parchment to the registrar”
There was a true story: a student was expelled for using a friend’s paper, and she was informed of this decision by the Dean without explanation. So we can see the consequences here are severe and irreversible. In Canada, plagiarism is seen as a threat to the original creators’ ownership rights and the credibility of academic institutions, resulting in a zero-tolerance policy.
In conclusion, plagiarism is a complex issue faced by schools worldwide. Individuals need to understand the importance of academic integrity.