The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted in the second reading Draft Law No. 10392 “On Academic Integrity”, which for the first time establishes unified, comprehensive legislative boundaries for academic integrity within the education and research system — from general secondary education to higher education, science, scientific research, expertise, and the awarding of academic degrees and academic titles.

The document defines the values, principles, and rules of academic integrity; establishes types of violations; sets procedures for their consideration; introduces response mechanisms and sanctions; and clearly delineates the responsibility of individuals and institutions.

What the Law Regulates

A Unified Definition of Academic Integrity

The Law defines academic integrity as a set of values, principles, and rules that must be observed by all subjects of academic activity during learning, teaching, scientific and scientific-technical activities.

The core values are defined as honesty, trust, respect for authorship and dignity, fairness, responsibility, resilience, and determination in adhering to integrity-based practices.

Scope of Application

The Law applies to:

• educational activities of education institutions at all levels;
  
• scientific and scientific-technical activities;
  
• learning activities of learners;
  
• creation, peer review, and publication of academic works;
  
• entrance examinations, competitions, and academic Olympiads;
  
• awarding educational degrees, academic degrees, and conferring academic and pedagogical titles;
  
• internal and external quality assurance procedures in education and science;
  
• evaluation of research institutions.
  

Violations of Academic Integrity

The Law establishes a list of key violations, including:

• academic plagiarism;
  
• fabrication and falsification of data;
  
• misappropriation and misattribution of authorship;
  
• non-independent completion of tasks and unauthorized assistance;
  
• dishonest assessment;
  
• academic sabotage;
  
• inducement to violate academic integrity;
  
• institutional violations of academic integrity.
  

The use of results generated by computer programs is regulated separately: such materials may not be considered original authorship if the fact of their use is not disclosed.

Procedures and Safeguards

The Law establishes procedures for reviewing reports of academic integrity violations, including defined timelines, the rights of the parties, the obligation of education institutions and research organizations to make decisions, mechanisms to prevent conflicts of interest, and the possibility to appeal decisions. The presumption of academic integrity is enshrined.

Academic Responsibility and Sanctions

The Law defines a range of sanctions depending on a person’s status, including:

• for teachers, academic staff, and researchers — from warnings and other restrictions to dismissal from a position, deprivation of degrees and titles, and restrictions on participation in competitions or supervision of research;
  
• for learners — from re-completion of assignments to expulsion;
  
• for education institutions and research organizations — institutional sanctions, including refusal of accreditation, deprivation of the right to award degrees, or reduction of the state attestation rating.
  

Academic Integrity Assurance System in Institutions

Education institutions and research organizations are required to:

• establish an internal academic integrity assurance system;
  
• approve internal policies, procedures, and authorized bodies;
  
• ensure a transparent procedure for reviewing reports of violations;
  
• publish internal regulations and the outcomes of reviews of such reports;
  
• use software tools to detect signs of integrity violations.
  

Heads of education institutions and research organizations bear personal responsibility for the functioning of these systems.

Register and Prohibition of Dishonest Practices

The Law provides for the creation of a Register of persons subject to restrictions for violations of academic integrity, aimed at ensuring transparency of decisions and strengthening trust in educational qualifications, academic degrees, and academic titles.

The Law also prohibits advertising and intermediation in the creation of academic works on commission; such actions are explicitly classified as violations of academic integrity and entail corresponding legal consequences.

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