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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 acting rector of one of Ukraine’s flagship technical universities was arrested in his office for taking a bribe of €170,000, which is roughly equivalent to US$200,000. In a country where the average salary is the equivalent of a meagre US$100 a month, this sum sounds astronomical. This is not the first incident where a university rector has been arrested in connection with a bribe. If there were a ranking that rated world higher education institutions based on how corrupt they are, Ukraine’s universities would doubtless take some of the top spots.

The acting rector of National Aviation University of Ukraine, was detained on 26 August on charges of taking a €100,000 (US$112,000) bribe for a job appointment. The accused was reportedly detained by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau detectives and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s office and Security Service officers. The following day, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau reported on its website that during the search in his apartment, detectives found the cash, and also confiscated nine gold bars. In response, the acting rector claims he was set up.

The Head of the Department of Economic Crimes Prevention of the Ministry of the Interior said in July 2006 that there were 210 cases of bribery registered in higher education institutions in that year, of which 11 were in Kiev. He mentioned a departmental chair in Lugansk who demanded that students pay his bills from the electronics and construction stores and he accepted cash as well. The corrupt chair was arrested while receiving a bribe of $2000. In yet another case, deputy-director of the Kiev National University's college was arrested while receiving a bribe of $6000. The number of investigated cases appears to be the tip of the iceberg as corruption in education is believed to be widespread.