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Although Chinese students have been going to America to study for decades, their numbers have grown dramatically in the past few years. Many of them have only a basic knowledge of foreign universities and difficulty making sense of complicated applications. As a result, a huge industry of education agents has arisen in the country to help guide them — and, in some cases, to do whatever it takes to ensure that they are accepted.

The University of Tokyo will overhaul its thesis examination process and throw the book at anyone found to have plagiarized other people's work, according to the university President. The tighter screening and tougher penalties come after the university last month effectively dismissed a Turkish assistant professor and revoked his doctorate after finding he had falsified his academic credentials and plagiarized major portions of his doctoral thesis.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Election Commission of Pakistan have locked horns over the verification of fake university degrees held by members of the federal and provincial assemblies, as the scandal spread to qualifications obtained at high school.

As Pakistan's Election Commission began its first hearings into parliamentarians' fake degrees last week some feared the scandal had been pushed out of the limelight by the devastating floods. Nonetheless, the degree debacle is straining the credibility of the country's higher education and election systems.

The commission in Cameroon responsible for assessing higher education qualifications issued abroad has exposed more than 300 cases of fraudulent diplomas, reported Quotidien Mutations info of Yaoundé.

Police are investigating an Indian university suspected of issuing fake PhDs after it awarded more than 400 doctorates in a single year. They have arrested four senior officials from CMJ University in the northeastern state of Meghalaya on suspicion of fraud and forgery and are hunting for the chancellor, who has fled.

Falsification of report cards to obtain admission into private schools in Kigali is listed as one of the major challenges hampering education quality. Speaking during an education workshop organised by Kigali City Council, an education activist from Power in Education, a local civil society organisation, revealed that a recent survey indicated that over 100 students in various city schools used forged report cards to obtain admission.

A few years ago, not many companies recognized the problem of false diplomas. According to a study published in February 2013, 75% of CVs are fake, 90% of the candidates justify doctoring a CV due to the fact that "competition is tougher" and that "one has to sell well." The study has also revealed that 33% of candidates often or always have false diplomas.

As part of his duties, a clerical officer at the ministry has seen the suspension and even the dismissal of a number of teachers found to have committed wrong in their schools either by abusing their pupils or by embezzling funds. He is now under the microscope himself, accused of holding fraudulent qualifications.

The Deputy President says a proposal to deal with the problem of fake qualifications is being prepared and will soon be presented to Cabinet for approval. He said the Minister of Higher Education and Training has already requested that the South African Qualifications Authority establish a national register to list names of individuals who have misrepresented their qualifications or who have invalid qualifications.