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Allegations of corruption and immorality within the Congolese university community have been aired in a new book by a former education minister and current professor of languages at the University of Kinshasa. He proposed lowering student numbers to a controllable level to guarantee efficiency during examinations and academic deliberations.

Banishing academic dishonesty could help Mozambique nurture original thinkers who are economically efficient and socially suited to develop the country. But this will only be possible if administrators work with professors and students to build strong measures to combat widespread plagiarism, which is hampering the production of quality graduates.

Uganda joins the rest of Africa to mark the Africa Public Service Day, an annual event that recognizes value and virtue of service to the community. The objective is to raise the image of public service, thus enhance trust in government, collect, document and share best practices for possible replication within a country as well as across the African Continent.

Abuja — The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) has targeted Nigerian Universities as part of preventive measures in the long term strategy of the anti-corruption fight. The commission plans to engage management and staff of tertiary institutions to work to imbibe a culture of transparency and accountability in the overall interest of the country.

Educationists in Nairobi believe many would-be graduates are seeking essay and thesis writing services, undermining quality in higher education institutions. Such fraudulent academic businesses are said to be mushrooming around universities. While they are not a new phenomenon, they are growing along with the number of students in universities.

Sexual harassment is rarely discussed in South African universities, but an investigation into a sex scandal that has rocked the University of the Witwatersrand has brought the subject under the spotlight. Wits University is investigating some academics after its student Newspaper accused an unnamed lecturer in the political studies department of sexual misconduct.

A first-year law student at Makerere University, is eager to use "Not In My Country". The website, launched in May, asks students in Uganda to report corruption in higher education – such as lecturers trading higher grades for money or sex – and lets students rate classroom experiences. Confronting corruption, even at university level, is risky, therefore various safeguards are used to protect identities.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, in conjunction with the National Universities Commission, NUC, is set to beam its searchlight on corrupt practices in the Nigerian universities over a chain of petitions received by the anti-graft commission. Abuses highlighted include admission processes, conduct of examinations, appointments and promotion of staff, and manipulation and falsification of academic records such as transcripts.

Staff members at the University of Namibia (Unam) say they live in constant fear of victimization and threats by those in management positions who are running the institution in an autocratic manner. "A climate of fear is preventing open and transparent debate on day-to-day issues". They further accused the management of not following fair and transparent measures in the selection and appointment of all management positions at the end of last year.