ABSTRACT
It has long been documented that large-scale government corruption diverts scarce resources away from government's obligation to provide key services such as education or health, undermining peoples' economic, social and cultural rights. In countries such as Libya, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria, billions of dollars have reportedly been squandered at the expense of millions of children who do not have adequate schools. There is another link, a pernicious and ironic one, between corruption and education in some countries, however: some of the squandered funds actually end up in universities abroad. Funds that should be dedicated to providing services at home are spent by leaders exercising poor judgement in order to legitimise their government or boost their image abroad. Several recent cases point to the fact that higher education institutions need to be diligent. The scale of fund-raising presents new ethical risks, for which universities must be prepared. While money originating from illegitimate sources is proportionally small, universities must nonetheless understand their responsibility regarding the sources of their donations and income.
“Corrupt officials spend millions trying to sanitise their images by making seemingly charitable donations to prestigious institutions.
