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British universities and private pathway providers for international students face accusations of admitting overseas students with lower entry requirements compared to domestic counterparts. This has prompted concerns about fairness and transparency in admissions practices with foreign students sometimes paying up to £38,000 (US$48,000) in tuition fees as opposed to no more than £9,250 (US$11,700) for UK students. The controversy highlights issues around pathways such as International Year One programs and the role of agents in recruitment, sparking calls for more ethical approaches and greater scrutiny in international student recruitment.
The draft law on universities is facing opposition from academics who argue it allows political interference, compromising educational quality. The proposed legislation would grant political figures such as the education minister and provincial chief minister’s significant roles in university governance, contrary to calls for academic autonomy. Critics advocate for academic autonomy and a board of trustees composed of experts. The law proposes the replacement of the University Grants Commission with a High-Level Education Commission chaired by the Minister of education.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) is advocating for a national plagiarism policy to uphold academic integrity and deter plagiarism. The commission's 49th annual report for 2022 highlights the need for such a policy, given the absence of effective tools to detect plagiarism in Bengali research and the lack of a plagiarism policy in Bangladeshi universities. The UGC also proposes a 'VC pool' system to ensure transparent appointments of Vice-Chancellors, Pro Vice-Chancellors, and treasurers in both public and private universities.
As academic integrity breaches rise by 313%, universities are changing their policies to deal with those linked to the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Changes include reducing conduct panels and speeding up case resolution to maintain trust and accountability while adapting to technological challenges. Despite concerns about fairness, the universities stress their commitment to maintaining due process rights. Approved changes to the Honour Code allow for proctoring, reflecting efforts to address integrity issues.
Education Cabinet Secretary raised concerns about school heads potentially inflating candidate numbers for national examinations in Kenya. Similar concerns were raised during the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam, where 9,354 students registered but did not sit the exam. To curb "ghost candidates, this year KCSE registration will be done based on the data in the National Education Management Information System.
As the excitement around ChatGPT soared in spring 2023, concerns arose among educators about students potentially relying too much on AI for their assignments. Universities responded by implementing AI detection software, like Turnitin, to identify AI-generated content. However, this led to dilemmas for instructors, particularly when a talented student's essay was flagged as "100% AI-generated." The student claimed innocence, citing the use of university-approved software for grammar and spelling checks, which included limited generative AI capabilities.
The Polish government has introduced measures to combat corruption in the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBiR), including increasing oversight by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Reports of misuse of funds and irregularities in grant allocation have prompted investigations and led to changes in the NCBiR's operations. Additionally, efforts are underway to ensure transparent and equitable financing of universities, with plans to increase funding for science and higher education.
Zimbabwe is in the process of developing new medical research legislation aimed at modernizing its approach to health research. This initiative seeks to address concerns such as outdated laws, lack of data transparency, and dependence on foreign funding. By fostering local research initiatives and collaborations between academia and industry, Zimbabwe aims to enhance its capacity for medical research and innovation, aligning with national priorities and advancing towards its Vision 2030 goals.
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.
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