In the media

The public has been raging in social networks throughout the weekend over the court ruling lifting a post-suspension from the head of a Kyiv-based medical university. Such cases are not uncommon in Ukraine when courts take the side of rectors, deans and professors who were not just involved in scandals and fights with government officials, but were caught red-handed in blatant corruption acts. Severe punishment for such an offense, including between five and ten years of imprisonment, does not seem to discourage bribe-takers, who all too often let off with no consequences.

The Association of African Universities (AAU) has identified corruption and threats to officials of accreditation bodies as some of the issues affecting the quality of some higher education institutions across the continent. “Because of corruption, some universities that are owned by ‘the rich and famous’ as well as politicians just get opened without the minimum requirements. Some accreditation bodies also face threats if they refuse to open unbefitting institutions,”. The AAU is preparing to implement the regional recognition of higher education qualifications across Africa .

The scale of student misconduct in Ukraine has been exposed by a survey of undergraduates that found nearly half have paid bribes and almost all admitted to plagiarism and cheating on exams. Of 600 students surveyed at public universities in Lviv -- a city in the west of Ukraine seen as relatively uncorrupt -- 48 percent had paid bribes. Bribery was far more common for compulsory modules like physical education and workplace safety, and professional programs like business, law and medicine, it found.

Corruption charges and the arrest of former vice-chancellor of Bharathiar University still fresh, another controversy erupted on Monday, this time in the form of a video. The clip that surfaced showed the head of the Tamil department receiving money from a person, allegedly for a posting in the university. The state higher education department has decided to send the video to the police department and probe its authenticity as well as the allegations.

As another school year begins in Afghanistan, the country continues to face insecurity, an epidemic of corruption within its education system and old customs that keep many students and qualified teachers away from classrooms. Violence and corruption are problems that can hardly be solved on grassroots level only. Increased violence forced more than 1,000 schools to shut their doors since 2016 and according to a report compiled by the country’s independent corruption monitor, corruption is “devastating” the education system and the country.

An awareness campaign against widespread corruption in universities, which includes bribery by students to get good results, false diplomas and sex to gain promotion, has been launched by CONAC, the national anti-corruption commission. According to a source “The main kind of corruption here is the sale of grades by certain teachers. Students whose work is bad get teachers or education officials to improve their grades”. CONAC found instances of nepotism, counterfeiting of results, false diplomas, promotions in return for sex, and abuse of power.

The University of Kansas and North Carolina State University have become embroiled in the college sport inducement scandal after federal prosecutors in New York elected to expand the case, which involves German sportswear manufacturer Adidas. In September, a senior executive from Adidas, along with four assistant basketball coaches from the University of Arizona, Auburn University, the University of Southern California and Oklahoma State University, were arrested on federal corruption charges relating to the payment of inducements to star athletes.

The Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) has suggested that the Ministry of Education (MoE) introduce anti-corruption education under religious and moral education subjects. The senior vice-chairman stressed that ‘’the most appropriate and effective way to prevent corruption is to start with the schools as it could help bring up a young generation of Malaysians who hate and reject corruption in all forms”. A study of students in 2016 showed that 16% of the respondents from local universities are willing to accept bribes and 18.5% would accept a bribe if they did not have to face any action.

The director of the Office of Anti-Corruption in Public Area 3, said that ten more north-eastern schools have been found with bogus students on their rolls, allegedly to facilitate the directors' transfer to well-known medium- and large-sized schools where parents are willing to pay admission bribes. This probe followed an investigation at Kham Sakae Saeng School in Nakhon Ratchasima where its new director found a list of 196 "ghost students" suspected of being put on the roll to get more government subsidies.

In order to cope with the assessment demands of rapidly growing student numbers, and rising incidents of grade tampering and cheating, many African universities are exploring the option of e-exams. While the traditional systems can go as far as bribe-taking by lecturers, invigilators and supervisors as well as examination leakages, e -exams might not be suitable for testing skills like synthesizing information, understanding evidence, critical problem-solving.