Ukraine Justice Minister Has No Master's (degree, he lied about it)

Associated Press ^ | Tue May 10, 4:16 PM ET | NATASHA LYSOVA

[jb6]

KIEV, Ukraine - Ukraine's U.S.-born justice minister acknowledged Tuesday that he never earned a master's degree from Columbia University despite listing the achievement on his government-sponsored Web site.

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The disclosure by Roman Zvarych, 51, follows weeks of controversy over his educational background. The staunch ally of President Viktor Yushchenko has faced increasing pressure to produce his diplomas after news reports suggested he had studied at the school but had not completed the degree.

"From 1976 until 1978, I studied at the School of International Affairs at the Columbia University and I don't have a master's degree," Zvarych told reporters.

Last month, Columbia officials told The Associated Press that Zvarych, whose name in the records was spelled in the way his family in America has spelled it — Zwarycz — never received a degree and that he only attended lectures from fall 1976 to spring 1978.

Zvarych's resume also said he was a professor at New York University from 1983 to 1991. The university told the AP that Zvarych was only a part-time adjunct lecturer at NYU's School of Continuing and Professional Studies from September 1989 through May 31, 1992.

"I never said that I had the rank ... when I was teaching, students called me 'professor' " he said.

Yushchenko's office and government officials were not immediately available for comment.

Zvarych said he earned a bachelor's degree at Manhattan College, a small liberal arts school, and promised to "hand over all the appropriate certificates" to the government.

Zvarych has bounced from one controversy to another since being tapped to head the Justice Ministry. Opponents have also alleged he was a CIA agent and that he improperly lobbied on behalf of his wife's oil business.

As justice minister, he had pledged to promote the rule of law and to fight corruption — two of the top priorities of Yushchenko, a Western-oriented reformer who came to power after the massive protests last year known as the Orange Revolution.

After the diploma scandal emerged, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said "everyone should hang his or her credentials in the government building in the full view of public."

Earlier, Zvarych claimed he lost his Columbia diploma.

The minister also said he was unaware about what he described as erroneous information about his education on the government's Web site — even after reporters questioned its accuracy.

"I never read information about myself and it was my mistake," he said.

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From 1976 until 1978, I studied at the School of International Affairs at the Columbia University and I don't have a master's degree,"

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That is interesting. I did not study from 2000 to 2003 and I got a degree. He must have gone to the wonrg University (or vice versa)

[jb6]

ping