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In Germany, the number of private universities has doubled over the last two decades, to 115, and the number of students has quadrupled. These institutions are financed from a variety of sources, including companies and family funds. Although the universities claim that their academic independence remains intact, concerns about transparency have been raised. Transparency International warns against the potential influence of companies on research through their funding and urges greater transparency to preserve academic integrity.

Students who cheat in exams could now face fines of up to AED200,000.

Two Norwegian politicians face plagiarism accusations regarding their master's theses, leading to investigations by their universities. The scandals have sparked debates over academic integrity, with calls for stricter penalties for plagiarism. The incidents have also raised concerns about the treatment of students versus politicians and the need for national regulations on plagiarism. Experts stress the importance of promoting ethical research norms and integrity within universities.

The Bureau of the Council of Europe's Steering Committee for Education is discussing the creation of a European observatory for ethical integrity and transparency in Higher Education, a landmark initiative against educational fraud. The observatory aims to tackle the growing problem of fake diplomas with objectives such as data collection, promotion of ethical practices, prevention of corruption and international cooperation. Despite bureaucratic, financial and legal challenges, this initiative offers considerable potential benefits for the quality and reputation of higher education in Europe.

The recent ETINED plenary in Paris gathered representatives from 35 European countries to discuss the significance of integrity in higher education. They emphasized the need for ethical principles, transparency, and integrity in education, alongside measures to counter education fraud. The platform shared good practices, including a recommendation on countering education fraud and a forthcoming publication on legal responses and case studies related to education fraud. Discussions covered AI's impact on education, student-centric approaches, and plans for an observatory to combat education fraud.

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.

To ensure academic integrity and prevent plagiarism, the Paris Institute of Political Studies has banned the use of ChatGPT, the new chatbot capable of instantly writing essays. Without transparent referencing, students are forbidden to use the software for any written work or presentations, except for specific course purposes. The sanctions for use of the software may go as far as exclusion from the institution.