Cheating the ‘most common’ unethical behaviour in HE – Survey

Cheating is the most common form of unethical behaviour in Tunisian higher education institutions, followed by plagiarism, favouritism, sexual harassment and instances of conflict of interest.

This is one of the key findings of a survey of 303 higher education institutions that was conducted by the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Centre Tunisia, which is affiliated to the Switzerland-based Globethics Foundation. Of the institutions surveyed, 15% were private, the rest public.

Globethics is an international non-governmental organisation focusing on ethical leadership and ethical decision-making, among other issues in higher education.

Kamel Ayadi, the head of the centre, presented the result of the survey, ‘The place of ethics in higher education in Tunisia’.

Survey outcome

The report indicated that 68% of Tunisian universities lacked ethical frameworks to guide their decision-making processes and 40% do not teach ethics. In addition, the findings showed that 30% of polled university presidents said they took an interest in ethics, while 70% admitted they did not take sufficient interest, according to Ayadi.

The survey noted that a total of 53% of the respondents listed cheating as the most widespread problem, followed by plagiarism (48%), favouritism (27%), harassment (20%) and conflict of interest (14%).

The survey also showed that 31% of the participating directors of higher education institutions admitted there were no mechanisms to report breaches and unethical practices.

The report also pointed out that the teaching of ethics in public and private higher education institutions was not institutionalised and there was a lack of specialised educational settings, such as specific units or departments within faculties to support students, and regulatory mechanisms to deal with unethical behaviours.

Measures for tackling unethical behaviour

Professor Sami Hammami, the former vice-president of the University of Sfax in Tunisia, told University World News that the report highlighted the realities in Tunisian universities.

He said efforts were being made to establish ethical rules that protect researchers from all forms of plagiarism.

“Several doctoral schools currently have new anti-plagiarism software and new PhDs can only go before the [evaluation] commissions with proof that the document submitted meets international standards,” Hammami pointed out.

“Combating harassment, favouritism and conflict of interest requires more global action ... with more rigorous regulations and awareness of the usefulness of filing a complaint in the event of abuse among victims,” Hammami noted.

“Women suffer these attacks (harassment, favouritism and conflict of interest) more than men and what goes unsaid is generally due to the fear of being the target of criticism or manipulation by the hierarchy,” he added.

“Conflicts of interest and favouritism should also be banned by requiring more transparency in instances where there are competitions and calls for tenders,” Hammami stressed.

Charter for ethics in academia

“Ethics is not just a question of compliance with regulations. It is a cultural and social question which should be treated from basic school level. The teaching of ethics in our schools and universities is a necessity, but this will require more resources and skills,” said Hammami.

“For the moment, it is necessary – in certain circumstances – to require commitment around a charter which requires respect for scientific honesty and the risks incurred if the candidate does not respect the ethical framework of teaching and research, he concluded.

Professor Ahmed El-Gohary, the former president of the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology, told University World News that the Tunisian higher education system should be congratulated “loudly” for speaking so frankly about the deadly “diseases” affecting the code of conduct for ethical practices in higher education.

This is a first step in coordinating corrective action and creating healthier institutions without these types of practices, El-Gohary said. “[We] hope that other higher education systems in Africa and the Middle East will follow.”

Value-based African universities

Professor Juma Shabani, the director of the doctoral school at the University of Burundi and the former director of development, coordination and monitoring of UNESCO programmes with a special focus on Africa, told University World News: “Unethical behaviour in higher education institutions is not only unique to Tunisia, but there is a rapid development of unethical practices in most African universities that lead to poor quality education delivery.

“These higher education institutions should achieve their missions as moral agents through taking prompt and effective measures, including the adoption of new regulations for mitigating and discouraging such malpractices,” Shabani added.

“African universities must act as values-driven educational institutions for producing graduates grounded and founded in ethical integrity with skills and attitudes that help them to live as ethical professionals, and as models for the rest of society.”

Shabani’s view is supported by an October 2023 study, ‘A Critique of Ethical and Civic Responsibilities of African Universities’, that pointed out the responsibilities of higher education institutions to produce ethically sound and civically engaged citizens for promoting safety and social cohesion in society.