20 percent of Albanian students confirm that corruption in universities is very high. However, they are afraid to report because they may be penalized during the study process.
900 students from North Macedonia, Albania and Serbia estimate that there is high corruption in their faculties. One in ten students surveyed by the Institute for Strategic Research from Skopje said that they were asked for a bribe during their studies.
25 percent of Serbian students estimate that corruption is very or extremely present, while among students in Albania and North Macedonia this figure drops to 20 percent.
Students are afraid to report corruption because of the consequences, but also because of the lack of information. Albanian students were more aware to denounce.
“The main problem of the students of North Macedonia is the lack of information about the denunciation of corruption. If we have over 90 percent of students who do not know how to react in case of corruption, then this is a problem. We asked them why they don’t report corruption, and a third of the respondents said they are afraid of the consequences”, – Misho Dokmanovic, Project “University without corruption”
But the Member of the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption says that their work is failing because of the judicial system.
“Corruption in our society has entered all areas. It is clear that instead of decreasing, our corruption is increasing. But we must have legal-criminal answers. We heard a lot of advice from outside that punishments are needed and not only prevention. A whole mechanism to fight corruption must be formed with a protective mechanism and appropriate punishment”, -Vladimir Georgiev, member of Anticorruption
Over the last few days, there have been clashes and accusations of influence in the election of the new rector of the State University of Tetova, while three of the four candidates withdrew from the race with claims that one of the contestants is already certain of victory due to the elections being manipulated by side of the ruling Albanian party DUI, but this party has denied the accusations.
