Paris Cité University withdraws Étienne Klein's doctorate following an investigation into his thesis

Paris Cité University has decided to withdraw the doctorate of physicist and science popularizer Étienne Klein following a procedure opened after accusations of plagiarism in his thesis defended in 1999. The information was revealed by Arrêt sur images and confirmed by the institution, which indicated that it had notified the person concerned of individual decisions.

According to the findings of the university's investigation, numerous passages of the thesis reproduced previously published texts without proper citation. Arrêt sur Images reports that copy-pasting was found in a significant portion of the document examined.

A rare sanction in the academic world

The withdrawal of his doctorate also comes with a ban on re-enrolling in a doctoral program. This decision comes nearly two years after the initial revelations concerning the content of the philosophy thesis defended by the researcher.

A well-known figure to the general public for his media appearances and popular science books, Étienne Klein admitted in 2024 to having made errors in writing his thesis. He apologized, explaining that he had relied on the work of other authors without adhering to certain academic standards. Author of numerous books and a former commentator on France Inter and France Culture, he remains one of the most prominent figures in science communication in France.