A University of North Sumatra (USU) rector has been involved in four separate plagiarism allegation: one in 2014, two in 2017 and one in a 2018 dissertation submitted to apply for a professorship. This is the third plagiarism case at USU following a 2013 case involving a lecturer and a professor in 2015. The two had been sanctioned with delayed promotion and were not allowed to hold any academic position inside or outside the university. The rector could face similar sanctions if found guilty.

A former administrator from Houston Independent School District was sentenced to one year of probation for her involvement in the admission scandal that ensnared wealthy parents across the country. She was accused of taking bribes from the admission consultant at the center of the scheme in exchange for allowing someone to sit exams on behalf of their clients ‘children or correct their answers. 50 more people were arrested last year in the scheme, in which authorities say undeserving kids were admitted to top universities with bogus athletic credentials or fake test scores.

The University of California system inappropriately admitted 64 wealthy and well-connected students as favors to donors, family, and friends and denied applicants that are more qualified an equal opportunity to education. 55 people were charged with bribery and fraud to secure admission included faking credentials of student-athletes.

Academic corruption linked to the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the urgency of strengthening transparency and accountability in African universities. Such corruption includes research malpractice, questionable research management, mismanagement of research funds and procurement fraud. Several university officials bypassed public procurement procedures for the purchase of materials and equipment for coronavirus research. 33 papers were identified as unsuitable for public use and either retracted, withdrawn, or noted with concern.

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 Director of the now-closed Christian University of Rwanda and the former Prime minister received a three-year jail sentence and a fine of RWF892.2 million (US$907,000) after he was found guilty of issuing cheques that bounced and for failing to pay the teaching and administrative staff. The Rwanda Investigation Bureau also arrested the former vice-Chancellor of the University of Kibungo for alleged nepotism and mismanagement of the university’s finances.

A former Harvard coach accepted $1.5m in bribes in exchange for helping a businessperson get his two sons into the Ivy League school as fencers. They face charges with conspiracy to take bribes under federal programmes. The coach was fired in July 2019 for violating Harvard’s conflict-of-interest policy.

Six officials at the Apex School of Theology orchestrated a scam to fraudulently claim $12 million in Federal student aid. The scheme involved recruiting fake students, forging fake applications for financial aid, as well as plagiarizing schoolwork and diplomas. FBI called the conspiracy a “blatant abuse of a Federally funded program” and “an insult to all taxpayers.

Almost 200 of 900 PhD thesis submitted at Osmania University every year have plagiarized content up 50 per cent. The university reinforced the regulations after approving the University Grants Commissions’ promotion of academic integrity. Faculty members having a similarity of above 40 per cent will be asked to withdraw the manuscript, will be denied the right to annual increments, and will not be allowed to supervise new thesis for 2 to 3 years students.

Women and girl child rights activists are calling for tougher and broader sexual harassment guidelines at institutions of higher learning in Uganda to avert cases of lecturers and other university administrators taking advantage of the students they teach. After indecently assaulted a student in 2018, a former administrator at Makerere University has been sentenced to only two years in prison or he has the option to pay a fine of UGX4 million (US$1,080). The 2019 Annual Police Crime Report for Uganda tallied sexual violence-related cases, including assault and rape, at 1,528.