Search Page

During the annual conference of the European Association for International Education, an expert stated that fraud in international higher education is a $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion business. He claimed that fraud is a pervasive problem and defined it broadly, situating various forms of it on a spectrum of severity – from resume embellishment, on the low end, to full-scale identity fraud on the high end.

A specter of corruption is haunting the global campaign towards higher education internationalization. New private actors have entered the sector, with the sole goal of making money. Some of them are less than honorable. Corruption is not limited to countries that may have a reputation for less than fully circumspect academic practices, but that problem occurs globally.

Once comprehensively surveyed, the magnitude and reach of fraud is becoming clear. For example, research suggests that the majority of applications from a number of large student-sending countries are either significantly embellished or outright fraudulent. As a result, tens of thousands of international students, having passed through visa and admissions systems, are enrolled all over the world based on school transcripts, financial support statements, recommendation letters or test scores that are untrue.

The "bad men" of today seem to get around. They also seem to have a certain weakness for schools and universities. According to 2011 survey data by Transparency International, globally, 35% of the population in 100 countries has no trust whatsoever in the integrity of their education institutions.

While corruption hampers all development efforts, it is a debilitating presence in the education sector. Teacher absenteeism is one of the most serious forms of corruption in education. While there are many valid reasons for a teacher to be away from the classroom, some absences are clearly illegitimate.

Since the end of the Cold War, a dramatic increase in global education has led to increased commercialization, as well as an increase in corruption. Corruption in higher education should not only be seen in terms of misuse of research funds, presentation and construction of fraudulent data, or inequitable admissions practices.

Breaking the silence over corruption in education is a mammoth ongoing task which needs a global united front in order to ensure that education goals are met and that children receive the best possible opportunities when learning.

Academic fraud such as bribery, bogus universities and falsified research findings is hardly a new phenomenon but it seems to be escalating worldwide, prompting quality assurance professionals meeting last week in Washington, DC to grapple with how, if at all, they can help combat the problem. No consensus was reached, but a prevailing view emerged that the potential consequences, if left unchecked, are dire.

A new report says corruption in education systems worldwide disproportionately burdens the poor. Transparency International said in a survey released on October 1 that almost one in five people worldwide paid bribes to education services last year.

Last September, a declaration aimed at mainstreaming ethics and anti-corruption in higher education was endorsed by the 68 member universities of the Compostela Group of Universities and subsequently also by the World University Consortium and the World Academy of Art and Science, a global network of 700+ university