In the media

In an analysis carried out jointly by the Publications Ethics Committee and the International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers, over half of the 3,440 articles submitted over a two-year period were found to be fake. Open science practices, such as pre-registration of study plans and registered reports could promote transparency and accountability. Recognizing the importance of peer review and rewarding reviewers can also strengthen academic integrity and reduce the proliferation of suspect articles.

A recent surge in examination malpractice cases in Uganda, encompassing 25 reported incidents within the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), has prompted police investigations. Among these cases, 10 pertain to UCE, while 15 are associated with PLE. While some suspects have been granted police bond during ongoing inquiries, the Kisugu High School's director faces serious charges under the UNEB Act for unlawfully confining candidates and disrupting an examination.

In Albania, citizens are frequently asked to pay a bribe when using basic public services. As revealed by Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index surveys, the sectors most vulnerable to corruption, according to Albanian respondents, include politics (92%), the judiciary (81%), healthcare (80%), education (70%), police (58%), and civil services (52%). To combat this, Albania has launched Spak, a specialized anti-corruption body made up of a prosecution office, a national investigation bureau, and special courts.

The University of South Africa (UNISA) underwent a quality audit by the Council on Higher Education (CHE), which raised concerns about ambiguous roles between the Senate and Council, potentially infringing on academic authority. The audit highlighted governance issues, late registrations impacting student success, and communication gaps with students. UNISA has submitted an improvement plan to address these concerns and awaits feedback from the CHE.

The Minister of Higher Education commissioned a report into the affairs of Unisa, Africa's biggest open distance learning institution. There have been claims of maladministration, as well as tender irregularities, allegedly involving the University's Vice Chancellor and principal. The report found that Unisa has been plagued by governance issues since 2016. It included the flouting of procurement processes, irregular appointment of staff members, as well as huge salary increases.

Arunachal Pradesh's Special Investigation Cell (SIC) raided the Directorate of Elementary Education and the Director's residence over the alleged illegal appointment of 28 primary teachers in Longding district. A case has been filed, investigating corrupt practices in the appointments. The SIC aims to uncover the truth and gather evidence through intensive investigations and coordinated raids in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, in collaboration with local law enforcement agencies.

11 university heads have been requested to file a detailed report on the financial and academic ability of the department or school within their institutions that trains PhD students. They are expected to provide details on how money disbursed by the state was used for PhD defense panels in the period 2020-21 and 2022-23. According to the Ministry’s guidelines, PhD applicants will be approved only if they have sufficient financial and academic means to carry out research projects.

An audit report reveals the State Educational Loan Fund has been plagued by violations and corruption since 1997 when it began granting loans to students pursuing Higher education abroad. The main finding of the investigation is that 90 percent of the loans were granted to high-level officials, their children, and those who had access to confidential information. There was no transparency or fair competition in the allocation of loans.

Corruption and impunity in the Nigerian university system have had a negative impact on the governance of Federal tertiary institutions and the quality of education received by students. In a recent report, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project stated that various allegations of corruption in federal universities ranging from the unfair award of degrees, inflation of contracts, and cuts in staff salaries to the employment of unqualified staff and sexual harassment - are now widespread, and the condition of most of the structures housing the various faculties and departments of these institutions is poorly maintained.

Internet-based plagiarism detection service provider Turnitin is helping private education organisation NextEd to combat actual and potential academic misconduct including the detection of AI writing tools like ChatGPT—across a cohort of 15,000 domestic and international students. Since implementing Turnitin, NextEd has seen a noticeable increase in levels of understanding of academic integrity, improvements in researching and referencing, a rise in literacy skills, and a dramatic reduction in cases of plagiarism—from 140 to less than 20 cases per year, a drop of more than 85%.