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A former top official at South Africa's Passenger Rail Agency (PRASA), was sentenced to 15 years in prison for fraud and forgery. The official who resigned before his 2015 arrest, was convicted of faking engineering qualifications and a job offer, which led PRASA to nearly double his salary. He was sentenced for three counts of fraud, including a deal that resulted in the purchase of unusable locomotives.

A recent Institute for East European Studies study highlights the significant threat hijacked journals pose to scientific integrity. The research reveals that papers in these journals exhibit extremely high levels of plagiarism, with 66% of the sample containing plagiarized content. Most of these papers come from authors in developing countries, suggesting that weaker ethical norms and research practices contribute to the problem.

A Control Yuan investigation revealed that National Taiwan University (NTU) failed to protect students from sexual harassment adequately and mishandled related complaints. The investigation found multiple harassment incidents involving an associate professor and a dormitory supervisor. Despite being aware of a sexual harassment allegation against the supervisor, NTU did not take timely or effective action to separate the supervisor from the affected student, leading to further issues.

Corruption affects all aspects of educational planning and management. This includes the financing of schools, the recruitment, promotion and appointment of teachers, the construction of school buildings, the purchase and distribution of equipment and textbooks, and access to university. Corruption restricts access to education at all levels, from pre-school to university. It hinders the quality of learning, with children from disadvantaged backgrounds being the main victims.

The existing fragmented and unaccountable structures of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) perpetuate dysfunction, corruption, and exploitation, betraying the trust of South Africa’s most vulnerable students and undermining the integrity of its higher education system. During the COVID-19 pandemic, funds intended for vulnerable populations were misappropriated.