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On the English version of its website, Kim Il Sung University has listed past, current and alleged partnerships with “sister universities” and claims, “international academic exchanges are in full swing”. Many of the named universities disagree and do not want to be associated with North Korea. They try to have their names removed from the website, but so far the University has failed to respond to their requests.

Academic corruption exists in doctoral education even though this should reflect the highest standards of academic integrity. Doctoral degrees have become especially popular among politicians, state bureaucrats, civil servants and people seeking employment in academia. An entire market has formed in Ukraine that offers ghostwritten dissertations to order. This market consists of not only individuals but also officially registered firms. If in 2009, there were 16 such firms, by 2016 the number tripled, reaching 46.

A row over whether or not the president of the Community of Madrid used her influence to obtain a masters degree has led to 30 university professors from across Spain signing a petition to denounce ongoing ‘academic corruption’ in Spanish educational institutions. The professors say the case against the Partido Popular (PP, a conservative party) president of Madrid’s Autonomous Community, is “a scandal without precedent” and argue that “the future of the public university and science in Spain will be determined by how this crisis is resolved”.

A Madrid university has suspended an official over a fake degree scandal. The King Juan Carlos University suspended the director of the school's Public Law Institute. The department allegedly awarded master's degrees to two Popular Party (PP) politicians without them completing the work. However the former said last week the university had pressured him to lie about the qualifications. The university's president denies pressuring the director. He also announced on Friday an internal probe into all the university's departments.

Non-governmental organizations (NGO) have stated there are corruption schemes in the Ministry of Education and Science related to budget funds allocated for the needs of schools. According to the leader of NGO Maidan Information the Ministry of Education issued an order, according to which only one firm can supply school equipment. He noted that most equipment in schools have not been updated since the Soviet times, therefore it is unclear what happens with the UAH 200 million in state funds set aside for this purpose.