Saturday, 24.11.2018 - Rogner Hotel Tirana

The Civic Resistance announces monitoring findings: 73% of students admit corruption in universities.

“Friedrich Ebert” Foundation in close cooperation with “Civic Resistance” NGO, organized on 24th of November 2018, a round table to present the findings of the monitoring for the level and perception of corruption in 5 public universities,together with the presence of representatives of the institutions of investigation and prevention of corruption.

640 students were interviewed, 501 students from the Bachelor level of studies and 139 students of the Master level.

According to the findings of the report, 73% of the surveyed students claim that corruption is present in their university, while 19% of the students do not give an answer, arguing that they have no evidence of the presence of the phenomenon and only 8% deny its presence. In a comparative level, the Polytechnic University of Tirana appears to be the most corrupted, at 80%, followed by the Agricultural University with a presence of this phenomenon at the level of 77%.

Students acknowledge that the most common form of corruption in universities is payment in exchange for a grade, at the level of 43%, followed by the obligation to purchase books and sexual favours.

Regarding the role of university administration employees as realtors, Enkeleda Millonai, Chief Prosecutor of Elbasan city said; "There are not just mediators and secretaries, but the problem has reached to the point where the premises of coffee shops are used, where they go and leave the money to the waiters." "In the penal code, as far as passive corruption is concerned, or simply said: cases in which the lecturers are accused, the sentences range from 2 years to 8 years and in the cases of active corruption, the students themselves are punished from 6 months to 3 years," she concluded.

Another issue presented by experts in the meeting was the fact that 24% of the students targeted would be willing to offer bribes in exchange for a better test result and 14% of them are hesitating.

This indicator highlights the need for investigative institutions to intensify awareness-raising campaigns with students to distance them from these illegal actions; states one of the recommendations of the Civic Resistance.

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
Tiranë

Rr. Kajo Karafili
Nd-14, Hyrja 2, Kati 1, Kutia
Postare 1418
Tiranë, Albania

+355(0)4 22 50 986


info.tirana(at)fes.de