Professors at two medical universities altered notes, texted responses, or wrote theses in exchange for bribes.
To become a doctor, they were ready for anything. Trafficking in medical degrees has been dismantled in Romania. Eight professors from two universities are being prosecuted for helping foreign students graduate in exchange for bribes. A total of 36 people are targeted by this legal procedure, including IT specialists and former students, the Romanian authorities said.
During searches of their homes, investigators found up to 350,000 euros in cash. For sums of up to 400 euros, the teachers modified the marks for certain exams, modified the copy, even sent the correct answers by text message during the exams to several students. Worse, for 500 to 600 euros, the professors themselves wrote the students’ theses.
Precedents
But that’s certainly what caught the eye of investigators. “Some of the students took exams in Romanian without speaking this language,” the prosecutors stressed. The nationality of the rifles was not specified but they would be Tunisian, Algerian, Egyptian and Italian students, according to the local press.
This corruption scandal in higher education is not the first in Romania. In 2015, the Iasi University of Medicine (northeast) had to reassess the 951 registration files submitted by foreign students because 94 of them had received an overvalued mark. Among them were the French.
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