In the media

The Australian Department of Home Affairs has published a new Student Visa Integrity Alert in response to multiple cases of applicants attempting to enrol in university programmes with fake passports, enrolment certificates or exam results. While higher education institutions are dependent on incoming international students, the Department warns that admitting students based on fraudulent documents can undermine trust in Australia’s academic programmes.

Education authorities in the Philippines have signed a Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) to take action against “diploma mills”. The establishment of the JMC is a direct response to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), which found an alarming level of unaccredited and substandard programs in higher education, especially in teacher education. The JMC addresses this until 2029 by establishing, among others, an Online National Registry (ONR) and a Quality Assurance Harmonization Committee to create transparency over accredited programs.

Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) will award around 50,000 engineering and management degrees using blockchain technology. The system enhances security, prevents fraud, and streamlines degree issuance, supporting institutional credibility and student trust, and allows secure access to print, and validate degrees.

The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Finance Minister has started a province-wide check to remove ghost workers from the Education Department. Nonexistent or former employees, including teachers who resigned, were dismissed, or died, are still receiving pay. This problem may be costing the department about 1 billion rand (approx. 57.31 million USD) every year, calling for urgent action.

University of Zimbabwe lecturers raised alarms over widespread academic irregularities, including unqualified teaching, inadequate contact hours, unsupervised research projects, and manipulated exam results. Despite ongoing strikes over salary disputes, the university proceeded with graduation, prompting concerns over academic integrity, student outcomes, and institutional governance.

Recurring exam scandals in Senegal, including leaks of confidential test papers, have prompted parents and civil society to call for a deep reform of the education system. Experts cite corruption, weak digital security, and social pressures, recommending changes in curricula, ethics education, and legal enforcement.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has launched a blockchain-based platform to verify academic degrees, aiming to curb widespread diploma fraud. The move follows a 2023 audit that found nearly one in three diplomas submitted for verification was either fraudulent or unverifiable. Developed in partnership with TindaTech, the system enables universities to issue tamper-proof credentials, helping restore trust in education and promote transparency nationwide.

A global Research Integrity Risk Index placed over a dozen top Indonesian universities in high-risk zones due to systemic integrity issues. The Ministry of Higher Education urged institutions to prioritize research quality and ethics over publication quantity. Critics cite unrealistic academic demands, weak oversight, and flawed incentives as contributors to unethical practices. The report has sparked calls for reform and greater emphasis on academic integrity in Indonesia’s higher education system.

Nepal’s anti-corruption body charged nine individuals, including two former District Education Officers (DEOs), the school principal, accountants, engineers, and construction committee members, for embezzling funds during school construction in Khotang. Though Rs 3.21 million (approx. 24,300 USD) was budgeted, a technical assessment found only Rs 1.63 million (approx. 12,300 USD) actually spent on the building.

The Central Bureau of Investigation of India uncovered a massive medical education scam involving 34 accused individuals – among them senior health officials and private college leaders – affecting over 40 institutions nationwide. Eight people have been arrested so far, including three doctors, linked to bribes totaling at least 5.5 million rupees (approx. 65,000 USD). The scam involved bribery, forgery, fake faculty, and manipulated inspections.