Here is the question to research gurus out there: how can you verify someone's educational history on Internet? Case study: Roman Zvarych, the Minister of Justice in the new Ukrainian government. Dr. Zvarych was born in the USA and gave up his citizenship when Ukraine became independent (wich, personally, impresses the hell out of me. I mean, the man had actually gave up something of a substantial value for his country. How many politicians can say that? No, he does not brag about it). His official biography states that he received a Ph. D. in philosophy from Columbia and taught at Columbia and NYU. Now, I certainly beleive Dr. Zvarych, but sometimes I'd like to have some reliable Web reference to back it up. Since the new Ukrainian government has received a lot of press, every time I search Internet on "Zvarych Ph.D." I got hundreds of links to news stories quoting his official biography. Any suggestions?
Which we can read where, precisely? These kinds of questions without providing some links, so that we can read the same things the thread-starter is reading, are maddening. At any rate... If he bio is on his own personal web site, then maybe you've got a point (or maybe not). One can put anything one wants on one's own web site. But if it's on a government web site -- and especially if it's on an accredited university web site listed as faculty -- the credential likely to be legit. Alternatively, any person (such as you) may verify anyone's degree or other similar credential (such as his) by simply contacting the school that allegedly issued it and just asking. The school, for privacy reasons, will do little other than simply verifying that the person in question did, indeed, earn the degree in question -- and will likely indicate when, as well -- but will provide little or no other information. Said contact with said school will probably need to be in writing, although I know of some institutions verify a degree over the phone -- again, providing no information in said phone call other than verifying the degree and the date it was earned. Period. It would be highly unlikely (unless the university has a web page listing all of its graduates and their degrees, as public information) that such information would either be on the Internet, or would be searchable via Google or other similar search engines in any case. What could -- and most likely would -- show-up in Google searches would be any listings of the person in quesion on that faculty listing pages of whatever college or university at which said person might happen to be teaching. And, if so, because it's likely that said university (at least as long as its legit and reputable and, if in the USA, accredited) will have thoroughly checked-out his credentials, it's quite likely that if said credentials are legit. Beyond the foregoing, I don't know how to help you... that is, unless your question is really about little more than intermediate and/or advanced Google search strategy and search string syntax and technique. With that I can help you. Is that what you're asking?
Re: Re: How to google a public figure's academis history? My bad. http://www.kmu.gov.ua/control/en/publish/article?art_id=12336234&cat_id=32581 (btw, Zvarych could do good editing the page himself; the English is terrible). Yeah, I guess it's just a basic Google question. The guy has enough of a rep for anyone NOT to seriously doubt his credentials; he was near the top echelons of our various "nacionalist-democratic" parties pretty much since 1991 (as long as these exist and legal). But there are certain online discussion boards with their population of shills, and occationally one would like a reliable reference to throw at them (and our government pages, as of now, do NOT cut this grade). Besides, I'm just curious. I thought that as the guy was a professor at NYU, he just might have some footprint. I don't attack him by any means - he just might be one of the best American imports we have, along with our brand new First Lady.
