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Universities expected to further scrutinise overseas placements

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 19 Nov 2019, 2:37PM
(Photo / Getty)

Universities expected to further scrutinise overseas placements

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 19 Nov 2019, 2:37PM

University sector representatives say young doctors shouldn't be written off - after a cheating scandal.

More than 50 University of Otago students will have their graduation delayed while the university looks into the issue of students taking holidays overseas when they were meant to be doing internships.

Universities New Zealand executive director Chris Whelan told Kate Hawkesby it doesn't mean Otago University medical degree-holders are less trustworthy.

"The fact that students have faked an overseas placement is extremely unfortunate and they will be repaying the costs of it and being held back. That is different from faking their knowledge."

He says cheating is serious, but it's not common.

"We have an extensive range of mechanisms to prevent cheating but they are not perfect, and doing things like an overseas practicum is unfortunately a little easier to fake."

The scandal will likely mean all Kiwi institutions will now be scrutinising their overseas placements, Whelan says.

"All universities regularly consider what the sector can be doing around cheating. If one university finds a way of detecting this sort of thing, that's very quickly shared across the rest of the sector."

 

 

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