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The Australian Government has introduced stringent measures to tackle fraud and exploitation in the student visa system. These include prohibiting agent commissions for student transfers between institutions, preventing education agents from owning stakes in Australian education providers, and establishing an integrity unit within the vocational education and training (VET) regulatory authority to monitor and enforce compliance among VET providers, emphasizing the importance of student attendance as a risk indicator.

Australian universities are split on whether to adopt a new tool which claims to detect AI-generated plagiarism with a near-perfect success rate, citing concerns over out-of-date models and the minimal notice the sector was given to assess the issue. Turnitin’s detection tool cites a 98% efficacy rate at picking up the “high probability” of AI. Out of twelve universities, three have adopted the tool and several were considering integrating it into their detection programmes.

African ghost-writer claims to have written hundreds of papers for New Zealand students while allegedly working for Eastern China-based academic essay writing service Assignment Joy. The anonymous whistle-blower alleges that some New Zealand students graduated without ever writing a single assignment. Urgent talks are ongoing between New Zealand universities and the Government to follow Australia’s move, outlaw cheating websites and block them from local access.

WA universities have been caught up in claims their students are paying an academic ghost-writing service to complete their assignments. A whistle-blower claimed to have completed assignments for students at universities across Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. Australia’s Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Association recently cracked down on commercial academic cheat sites using Australia’s new anti-cheating laws. Students who pay to cheat are subject to their institution’s discipline policies.

Following a growing number of misconduct allegations involving ministers and public servants, Queensland Department of Education Director-General announced zero tolerance to fraud and corruption and encouraged a culture of commitment to working with integrity. Employees and state school teachers and staff can now report alleged corruption through a new anonymous online portal.

The Social Research Centre’s 2021 National Student Safety Survey reported 1835 sexual harassment and sexual assault incidents in Australian universities. The qualitative report included the submission of an international student, harassed by a university staff member. The student was not only left with full responsibility for her safety while the university had continued to protect its staff member but was also asked to no longer attend school seminars or social events.

Online academic cheating services that offer to do assignments for less than AU$100 are targeting international students in Australia doing vocational courses at private colleges, including those that don’t require class attendance. According to the law introduced in September 2020, providers found to be selling or advertising contract cheating services can face up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $110,000. Higher education providers are urging the federal government to extend this legislation to the Vocational Education and Training sector.

A survey of staff at South Australia’s three major universities has uncovered widespread bullying and harassment, with managers accused of being more concerned with their institution’s reputation than academic and general staff well-being. The Independent Commissioner Against Corruption survey received responses from more than 3,000 staff and one in five said that their university did not have adequate protections for those reporting misconduct and more than 10 per cent said their organization actively discouraged reporting.

The head of South Australia's Independent Commissioner against Corruption launched an investigation into allegations of misconduct and malpractice on the part of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Adelaide after he resigned for health reasons. The university had previously projected revenues of more than A$1 billion (US$705 million) for this year, but these have been replaced by projected losses of A$100 million.

The new Federal government-funded Education Integrity Unit will monitor academic misconduct at Australian Universities. Researchers report that between 6 and 10 per cent of students have cheated during their studies. The new academic Unit will address “emerging threats” to academic and research integrity, admission standards and information, student safety, foreign interference, cybersecurity, fraud, and corruption.