Study on academic integrity carried out universities of Moldova for the first time ever

Chisinau, 3 June /MOLDPRES/ - Seven higher education institutions today launched an information campaign titled, Zero tolerance to corruption in universities. The action’s goal is to reduce this phenomenon in universities, through internal mechanisms of promoting the integrity. The decision was taken by the administrations of those seven institutions after the analysis of data of a comprehensive study on the level of academic integrity, carried out in the universities of Moldova for the first time ever.         
The study shows that over 46 per cent of the participants would recommend that their acquaintances or friends study at the university where they are students. At the same time, 58 per cent of the respondents are fully satisfied with the teaching materials prepared by teachers, 55 per cent give marks between 9 and 10 for the interaction between teachers and students in the process of learning-teaching, while 29 per cent of the respondents are fully contented with the conditions in canteens and only 14 per cent are satisfied with the conditions in hostels.    
As for the perception about the plagiarism, fraud and corruption in the higher education, most students think that the corruption acts are quite serious in the education process in universities.     
In the opinion of most interviewed students, the most serious actions which can occur in the higher education process are the sexual harassment of students and the purchasing of graduation diplomas. The repeated use of the same own text in different works is regarded by the respondents as a less serious infringement.     
„I welcome the decision by the university administrations to assume the conclusions of this study and to start a comprehensive process of improving the integrity indexes and of reducing the corruption in universities. The study confirms certain perceptions which exist in the society as regards the deficiencies dealing with the ensuring of integrity, as well as the pretty high level of tolerance towards copying, bribe and other illegal practices. Having a mechanism of ensuring the quality, the universities can guarantee the quality of education and can enhance the confidence among young people that they can get good university education here, in Moldova,’’ Education and Research Minister Dan Perciun said.       
The study was made during 2 February – 21 March 2024, at a request by the Education and Research Ministry and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), on a sample of 4,209 students of the State University of Moldova, Moldovan Technical University, Academy of Economic Studies, Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ion Creanga State Pedagogical University, Alecu Russo State University of Balti, State University of Physical Education and Sport.  As many as 42,281 students study at these universities in all.      
Based on the study’s findings, the universities will approve anticorruption plans and concrete measures of preventing this phenomenon, including the adoption of internal mechanisms of reporting illegal acts of this kind and external monitoring at examinations, etc. The ministry will repeat the study in 12 months, will purchase a national anti-plagiarism software, will correlate the level of financing of the universities with the efforts made to ensure the integrity, will constantly monitor the implementation of the plans approved by the senates of the universities and will carry out national campaigns of training and raising the awareness of the students and teachers.