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Secretive clauses are being used to conceal the extent of harassment and bullying at higher education institutions. Dozens of academics told BBC News they were “harassed” out of their jobs and forced to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) by their university after making complaints. British universities have spent about £87 million on bribes to staff members who come with “gagging orders” the past two years. This highlights a broader lack of transparency in the way universities deal with all kinds of misconduct and discrimination.

Despite the many requests from different organizations, universities keep secret their criteria for sorting each training course. The Human Rights Defender believes that the request of many trade unions for more transparency in the Parcoursup procedure will not undermine the "principles of the jury's sovereignty and the secrecy of its deliberations". He also recommends that the Minister of Higher Education make sure that candidates have all the information they need regarding the way their application is being processed.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan last week ordered the removal of a number of university vice-chancellors because they were appointed in violation of the merit-based system. In stern remarks on 22 April over the appointment of vice-chancellors in Punjab province, Pakistan’s Chief Justice said “The Supreme Court cannot tolerate any appointment without transparency as the state of education in the province is in complete disarray,” and that the appointments were not the most senior professors but had close links with government circles.

Elite universities in the United States and the United Kingdom have been investing endowment funds offshore in order to pay little or no tax, according to details revealed in the so-called Paradise Papers. According to the student run Fossil Free Pitt Coalition “We are concerned about the lack of transparency, as two-thirds of the endowment is just a mystery to us. We are suspicious about where that huge segment of the endowment is going.” An emeritus professor in accounting at the University of Essex, told the newspaper that UK universities should be more transparent about their investment decisions, since they are public institutions that receive public money, including from the European Union.