In the media

Moldova will introduce a national anti-plagiarism system to check all bachelor’s and master’s theses starting this year, following an investigation into the buying and selling of academic papers. The Ministry of Education launched internal reviews, involved law enforcement, and called for parliamentary hearings with multiple state institutions to address academic fraud. Officials describe plagiarism as a serious issue undermining higher education and plan stricter laws, including possible annulment of fraudulent diplomas.

In Belgium, three students were caught using ChatGPT during the Flemish medical entrance exam, the first explicitly recorded AI fraud-scandal in this context. This year’s passing rate (47%) for the exam was unusually high. Universities are taking varied approaches, prohibiting AI in exams, but also introducing training, clearer guidelines, and new assessment methods to ensure students use these tools responsibly.

A withdrawal of statistics on exam adjustments by England’s exam regulator reveals that previously published figures overstated the number of students receiving extra time. The revision underscores the need for transparency and precise data management to inform public debate, especially on support for students with special educational needs.

Representatives from 33 countries met in Rome for the Council of Europe’s Platform called ETINED. This plenary brought together government officials to discuss the findings of a survey on fraud in education (FraudS+ project). The results highlight that students have limited awareness of fraudulent practices, except for plagiarism. The survey also underscores the need for greater support, prevention, and protection for the academic community. Overall, the Conference reaffirmed the importance of open data in education and the necessity of stronger ethical safeguards.

Researchers at the University of Reading conducted a study where they used AI-generated answers from ChatGPT-4 to complete take-home exams under fake student identities. These AI-generated responses received higher grades than those of real students and went largely undetected by the university's markers. The study, described as the largest blind test of its kind, highlights how AI tools are capable of passing the Turing test, raising concerns about the integrity of educational assessments. Experts suggest that universities need to adapt their assessment methods to address the growing impact of AI.

A senior law student at Istanbul Bilgi University faced disciplinary action for allegedly using AI, ChatGPT to cheat on an exam. The student’s legal battle ended in suspension, causing financial and emotional distress. The case highlights the challenges of AI in maintaining academic integrity and the need for clearer policies.

The General Secretary of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) highlighted the significance of the ongoing investigation into a fake diploma scandal and its implications for corruption within senior bureaucratic and political circles. He pledges the CTP's commitment to monitoring the process and work towards enhancing the effectiveness of regulatory bodies like the Higher Education Planning, Evaluation, Accreditation and Coordination Council YÖDAK to improve governance and accountability in higher education institutions.

Ofsted inspectors are reportedly fabricating evidence due to frequent crashes in the electronic evidence gathering (EEG) system introduced in 2018. The Observer's investigation reveals anonymous claims that senior Ofsted leaders have known and covered these technical problems. Critics argue that inspections over the past five years should be invalidated if widespread evidence fabrication is true. Ofsted insists that judgments are backed by sufficient evidence, but the Observer found evidence of potential issues in Ofsted's written response to a school's complaint about missing evidence.

In the book "Corruption in Higher Education: Global Challenges and Responses," 34 experts shed light on various corruption issues in higher education: contract cheating and outsourcing assignments; ambivalent hiring processes; fake universities that take various forms, from profit-driven schemes to students buying degrees without fulfilling obligations; corruption research involves scholars, administrators, and agencies, united against academic corruption. Future steps include integrity theory development, examining secondary education's impact, leveraging technology, avoiding social group stigmatization, and fostering global cooperation.

With exams just around the corner, students from Bournemouth University talk about what academic integrity means to them, how using it means they get better marks, how to avoid committing an academic offence and where to get help when they need it.