SPONSORED INTERVIEW
fraud can be devastating for education institutions. Reputational risk, loss of professional integrity, reductions in admissions and revenue, and even potential legal action can result from admitting fraudulent students. Reputational damage alone can have a devastating effect on how a university is perceived, which can be expensive and time-consuming to change. It can also directly impact profits, awarded projects and opportunities for future students.
called primary source verification (PSV). When this is coupled with blockchain technology, businesses can be completely assured that the verification is valid. Verifications stored on blockchain are not just a concept, leading verification companies - including TrueProfile.io - have made them a reality. This allows universities to request that students have their supporting documents thoroughly verified and, when presented, the verifications’ legitimacy can be checked in seconds against the information stored on the blockchain. Not only does this provide a secure and accurate way of protecting universities against the effects of academic fraud, it also vastly reduces the time spent on manual verifications. This means that admissions teams can reallocate time spent on manual verifications towards higher-priority tasks. Can you outline the role of yourself and TrueProfile.io in combating this trend in academic fraud? We have created an environment where it’s incredibly difficult for even the most sophisticated academic fraudsters to wrongfully gain employment/further education. We already work with a huge network of universities, issuing authorities, employers, and regulators worldwide who are equally committed to clamping down on academic dishonesty. As we onboard more and more institutions, the notion that academic fraud is not only unacceptable but also ineffective in gaining a job or a place on a university course will become mainstream knowledge. Now, widespread adoption is key in order to create a hard boundary against which fraudulent applicants, diploma mills and fake universities cannot cross. You work with a network of issuing authorities and a dedicated team that monitors diploma mills. Can you share some more information into this and how it’s working in practice? We have a dedicated team of professionals who monitor new and
existing diploma mills so that our verification team can immediately identify these documents as being fraudulent. Having our eyes on these establishments means that we stay one step ahead and can immediately advise our clients that the candidate seeking verification does not have the required qualifications.
‘Reputational damage alone can have a devastating effect on how a university is perceived’
Can academic fraud damage a Business School's reputation without them knowing?
Absolutely, some universities may be unaware this is even happening unless an employer or institution decides to verify a degree and realises that the document is fraudulent. There may be applicants applying for roles with a fake degree and employers simply considering these as low-calibre candidates who were educated at a specific university. Could Business Schools also be at risk of recruiting MBA candidates with ‘fake’ degrees? Yes, especially as the number of students who want to pursue an MBA has increased and the market has become more and more competitive. Unless the supporting educational and employment documents that go alongside an MBA application are thoroughly verified, Business Schools open the door for candidates who are willing to commit academic fraud in order to secure their coveted place. How can this threat be stopped? Verification means different things to different universities. For some, a glance over a degree certificate for a local university equals a tick beside ‘verified’ in the application process. For others, they diligently use a specialist verification company or employ inhouse staff purely for this purpose. Whatever the method, third-party or external, the most reliable means of verification is carried out via a process
What would be your advice to high- quality business education institutions that are looking to minimise the threat of academic fraud going forward? As mentioned, thorough verification is the only way to take a hard line against fraudulent applications. Not only does this protect your own university but it also sets a new standard within the verification industry itself to send the message that academic integrity is key, and fraudulent applications will simply not be accepted.
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TrueProfile.io works with universities and employers to prevent academic fraud via a
digital, on-demand Primary Source Verification (PSV) solution which is stored using blockchain technology. TrueProfile.io is part of the DataFlow Group, a leading global provider of specialised PSV solutions, background screening and immigration compliance services since 2006.
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