Ida Ismail
Public universities are facing a deep crisis of trust. The data Civic Resistance report, based on investigations and the perceptions of students themselves, show that corruption in higher education has become a normalized practice.
"More than 50 university professors and employees have been accused of corruption in the last 4 years, mainly in Elbasan, Shkodra and the Agricultural University. Such data is not found in the region," emphasizes Migen Qiraxhi from the Civic Center.
The survey conducted with 750 students at 8 public universities breaks down the landscape of academic corruption:
- 89.98% of students admit that corruption exists at the universities where they study.
- 46.62% identify payment per grade as the most widespread form.
- The forced sale of books, a practice that has been going on for years.
- 9.61% of students admit to having personally paid bribes.
Qiraxhi confirms: "9 out of 10 students admit the existence of corruption in the eight public universities we analyzed. It's alarming data."
Beyond bribery, problems with the quality of academic staff add to the pressure on students:
- 69.84% of students at the University of Tirana say that plagiarism is widespread among lecturers.
- 73.4% declare that within faculties there are lecturers who do not master the subject.
- 22.92% say that teachers do not respect schedules, an indicator of a lack of professional discipline.
The survey also highlights the problematic nature of academic hiring, with 53.73% of students believing that recruitment is done through personal connections and only 21.37% thinking that hiring is based on merit.
Former magistrates dismissed by Vetting return as lecturers
One of the most serious findings is related to the entry of judges and prosecutors removed from the justice system due to the vetting process or its avoidance, who have returned to academic life as lecturers in public and private universities. Citizen Resistance identifies 8 such cases. This is a step backwards in terms of commitments within the framework of EU directives and academic integrity.
Ethics Councils, in 4 years (2021–2025), have only handled 16 issues at 8 public universities, while 54.17% of students say they have "little" or "no" confidence that corruption cases are handled fairly at universities.
The Civic Resistance report, based on irrefutable investigative data and the mass perception of students, clearly shows the problem: Albanian universities have become one of the institutions most affected by corruption. Bribery for grades, unprepared professors, plagiarism, employment with connections and the return of figures overthrown by justice are dealing a severe blow to higher education.
"The problems of plagiarism, the lack of lecturers, continue to be a problem at the university," emphasizes Qiraxhi.
If institutions do not act, these cases will not be just numbers. but evidence of the loss of an entire generation. The education system is also facing a decline in the number of young people who choose to study in Albania. Some programs have been declared “at risk of closure” due to emigration, lack of perspective, lack of trust in Albanian universities and the normalization of corruption.
The main solution to academic integrity issues, according to about half of the students, remains vetting in academia./acqj.al
