Fake seminars for Algerian researchers abroad

Algerian high education ministry opened an investigation throughout universities and institutes about using money allocated for training abroad for personal purposes.

• The ministry opened the investigation following a letter submitted by a researcher on Algerian teachers and researchers being cheated in Tunisia.
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• He said a researcher organises annual seminars for North African academic teachers. About 99 percent of them are from Algeria. They get attendance certificate after they pay 250 euros without presenting their researches.
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• According to the letter, another supervising researcher has recently invited tens of Algerian academics to attend a scientific meeting in late December in return for 250 euros for each.
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• “Not less than 500 Algerian researchers will attend those seminars. That means the organisers will gain more than 250,000 euros.”
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• Academic sources say if the claims are confirmed, the issue will unveil one of the biggest scandals in the Algerian higher education.