- Anne Cheng, a Singapore-based AI startup founder, admitted to falsely claiming a Stanford Ph.D.
- Stanford confirmed Cheng never attended or graduated from the university.
- Cheng acknowledged her “serious lapse in judgment” and said it doesn’t represent her business practices.
Anne Cheng, a prominent figure in Singapore’s startup scene and founder of the defunct investment firm Start Up Nation, recently posted on LinkedIn about receiving a Ph.D. in behavioral economics from Stanford University in 2023.
However, Tech in Asia’s investigation casts doubt on Cheng’s claim. In an interview on July 9, Cheng insisted she was telling the truth, but by July 10, she had taken down her LinkedIn post and admitted to misrepresenting her educational background.
The truth unfolds
A representative from Stanford University’s public relations office confirmed that neither “Anne Cheng” nor “Cheng Heng Fun” are in its records as a “matriculated student or graduate.” The university also does not offer a Ph.D. in behavioral economics.
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, a US-based platform that tracks graduates from North American universities, has no records indicating that Anne Cheng or Cheng Heng Fun attended or graduated from Stanford.
Cheng’s explanation and apology
In a July 10 email to Tech in Asia, Cheng said she was accepted to a different program at Stanford but failed to attend it.
She shared a screenshot of an acceptance email for an online business course called Stanford LEAD, which is not a graduate program.
Cheng acknowledged her “serious lapse in judgment” and stressed that it does not represent the way she does business.
Cheng has built a reputation as an entrepreneur, establishing companies like Supercharge Lab and GoodSide. She has also been listed as an instructor in an artificial intelligence and computer engineering program at CMKL University Thailand.
However, her credentials, which included a “Ph.D., Behavioral Economics, Stanford University,” are now in question.
Tech in Asia has reached out to CMKL to confirm if Cheng remains an instructor with the program.
To read the original article: https://www.techinasia.com/ai-startup-founder-anne-cheng-said-she-had-a-ph-d-from-stanford-she-admits-its-not-true
