In the media

Right after its inauguration in 2012, the then new Tunisian government reassured its electorate that it will continue to take the fight against corruption seriously. Numerous international partners were asked to submit their recommendations, and soon enough the authorities' to-do list becam very long.

A report released by Transparency International, "Global Corruption Report: Education," is the first report by the organization examining corruption in education. But the report hardly covers the issue at Arab universities.

Egyptian higher education remains in a state of crisis after the 2011 revolution. Internal corruption, a lack of funding and student support and safety are among the factors adversely affecting students and the system. Economic, political, and physical insecurity in the country make it very difficult for serious changes to be made.

The Ministry of Education has launched a new curricula for both primary and secondary schools in Iraq. The aim is to raise awareness and understanding of the concepts of integrity, transparency, human rights and honesty. The new curricula was designed by the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the UNDP. This innovative initiative is the first of its kind to be introduced in Iraq.

Young Moroccans are calling on the government to take action against ghost civil servants, particularly by replacing them with unemployed graduates. Young people criticized the situation, especially with the unemployment rate being particularly high amongst them and the government deciding to restrict access to the civil service.

The Minister of Education has prepared a report on his Department's activities in 2012. It focused on two main areas : the functioning of the processes in the ministry and the reform of the educational system. The report addresses a number of important issues in relation to the education system as a whole, including corruption within the ministry itself.

Public universities in Egypt are institutions with multi-layered corruption – from sexual harassment to nepotism. The Daily News Egypt was intrigued by a recent corruption case in Ain Shams University and decided to look into the different forms of corruption directed at students at public universities. Students recount their experiences with corruption and propose solutions.

Last year 68 Emiratis were blacklisted from the US for buying qualifications from online "degree mills". Authorities at the time said that those caught using fake degrees could be punished with up to 24 years in prison. However, the problem persists. It is suspected that although the university is registered as a company in the US, the operations were in the Dubai, from where they send fake qualifications around the world

If the academic profession does not maintain adequate income levels, academic performance throughout the system inevitably suffers. Academics must receive sufficient remuneration to live an appropriate middle-class lifestyle. Through an Egyptian example of university professors demanding sums of money to their students, this article deals with the inevitable consequences of inadequate academic salaries.

Community endowment funds are being experimented in Egypt. They are managed by village committees with the active participation of parents with support from the private sector. They lobby government for better resource allocation.