This archive report was first published on 1 July 2020.
On July 1, 2020, Brazil's education minister, Carlos Alberto Decotelli, became the third education minister in 18 months to resign from President Jair Bolsonaro's administration.
Decotelli's resignation came after several days of controversy surrounding his academic credentials, which were touted by Bolsonaro in a tweet announcing his appointment.
Decotelli claimed to hold a Master's degree from Brazil's Getulio Vargas Foundation, a doctorate from Argentina's University of Rosario, and a post-doctorate from Germany's Wuppertal University.
However, these claims were quickly disputed by the universities, with Rosario University's rector stating that Decotelli had not obtained a doctorate there and had never defended his thesis.
Wuppertal University also stated that Decotelli had not obtained any academic titles there, and the Brazilian university said that Decotelli had not been a professor there from 2016-18, as his CV stated.
Additionally, Decotelli was accused of plagiarising several academic papers during his studies in Brazil.
Decotelli's resignation is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding Bolsonaro's administration, which has seen the dismissal or resignation of around a dozen ministers since he assumed office in January 2019.
