The now former German defense minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg was the center of an embarrassing row recently when accusations of plagiarism led the University of Beyreuth to stripping Mr Guttenberg of his doctorate. The now shamed Mr Guttenberg, dubbed by the national media ‘Mr Googleberg’ or ‘Mr Cut und Paste’, blamed the media for instigating a ‘witch hunt’ on his person but after futile resistance, stepped down from his post in the Merkel government.

The German ‘copygate’ is regrettably not the only high-profile case of academic fraud at the moment. In Denmark, the previously revered neuro-scientist Milena Penkowa is under criminal investigation and internal probing for several accounts of tampering with research results, abuse of research funds and falsifying experiments. Her case, which goes back to a dispute over her doctorate in 2002, shows a cynical and greedy disrespect for the institution she represented – The University of Copenhagen. Another recent example is the launch of an investigation into the claims that the son of Libya’s faulting dictator Gaddafi plagiarized his PhD thesis. Saif al-Islam’s enrollment into the London School of Economics was already an embarrasing story for the institutions which accepted him as a student alongside a £1.5m gift from the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation. With the accusation that the now 38-year-old graduate used a ghost writer and copied several sections of his work, the reputation of the institution is taking a serious blow.

And it is not just a successful bout of investigative journalism. As modern society has grown to value knowledge on behalf of academic credentials, the widespread of falsification, misrepresentation, plagiarism and cheating has exploded.

The obvious question is: Why do people cheat? Academic misconduct has a way of, if caught, tarnishing the fundamental credibility of that person, profession and/or institution. A journal on behalf of UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning found that competitiveness, ambition, greed and other anti-social behavior are most likely motivations for academic fraud. Since the process of gaining academic success has become so competitive, the temptation to gain them illegitimately have equally increased. The author’s explanation for this situation is that “the value of academic success and qualifications is not limited to educational advancement alone. It is accompanied by the prospect of improved status, power, and influence.”

The recent cases have briefly exposed what has been a major problem in the worlds of academia and publishing for many years. Both students and institutions have turned their blind eye to the rule book on academic conduct and it does not seem that things will change anytime soon.

What is deeply concerning – and frustrating for anyone who did academics – is the fact that the more cases of fraud are exposed, the more damage it causes further down in the system. The people who fake their way through scholarly work and credentials set off a chain reaction of mistrust, ridicule and degradation of the world of academics. Honest researchers and writers will have to fight twice as hard to be taken serious, and It tarnishes everything that touched the case – it tarnishes everyone who legitimately follows the same path.

The morale of the story is – don’t be a cheater. The paradox of lying to advance one’s position is that with increased influence comes increased exposure and a bad apple in the cart can soon rot the rest of the harvest. Still, there is little else to do for real academics world wide than to make sure their own practice is legitimate and hope that the recent cases will scare off the rest.

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From America to Asia, from Africa to Europe, all around the world we hear stories about ministers and politicians’ resignation.

Last recent case in Europe occurred in Germany where the Defense Minister, Karl-Theodor Zu Guttenberg, has resigned in consequence of a plagiarism scandal. After it was revealed that he copied word for word from internet the half of the pages of his university doctorate thesis in 2006, he couldn’t stand the pressure therefore admitted his “mistake” and did the right thing: quitting his job.

But he is not the only one. On the other side of the world, in Japan 2,180 euros were sufficient to make resign the Foreign Minister Saiji Maehara. The revelation of receiving in 2005 an illegal donation from a South Korean woman resident of Japan cost him his office. Admitting the fact he officially apologized to electors, bowing in front of them and in front of the Japan’s flag,and he resigned.

Back to Europe. The French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie has resigned after the strong criticism on the initial offer of help for putting down the uprising and the following Christmas holiday she spent in Tunisia guest of the former President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, right during the rebellion.

In Africa recently was the Culture and Sport Minister of Rwanda, Joseph Habineza, who resigned. In this case the cause was a photo scandal. Some photos taken on St. Valentine’s Day in 2008, showing the minister and a couple off women in intimate poses, were published on a website. “When you see people publishing pictures and all that, it is not good for your image as a minister,” he said.

In the United States was a shirtless photo which made the married Republican congressman Chris Lee resign. He took this photo and sent it to a woman met online. This virtual flirtation – in perfect teenagers’ style – in a country as US has led to resignation.

If we look back at the very last years we can remember also the resignation of Eliot Spitzer, the New York Governor, in 2008. His involvement with a sex scandal – because he was found with some prostitutes – was the reason. Official admission of guilt and apology to his family and to the public for him too.

In 2009 in the United Kingdom the revelations over the expenses claims led the Britain’s first female home secretary Jacqui Smith to resign. Also two pornographic films watched by her husband on the pay per view TV were claimed – “inadvertently” she said -.

And then the Australian Ports Minister Paul McLeay resignation from cabinet in 2010 after the spreading of the news about his usual surfing on porn and online gaming sites.

So how about Italy and its funny Prime Minister? Silvio Berlusconi’s trials started at the end of February. Totally will be four, some old some new. He is charged with judicial corruption, illegal financing of political parties, false accounting, extortion, abuse of power and prostitution of minors than eighteen – the Rubygate affair -. The consequences?

The Italian Premier doesn’t resign but continues to accuse his political opponents and the magistrates of conspiracy against him. He finds all the possible ways not to go to the hearings, he is also trying to reform the justice system in order to get out of troubles.

Italians?Almost the half of the people seem to believe that he’s innocent and don’t think he should resign. In the parliament he is constantly increasing his government majority – finding magically new supporters from others parties -. The story about Bunga-Bunga parties has become very popular and also Berlusconi uses it to make jokes inviting journalists, electors and other politicians to participate during public conferences.

A politician should follow an appropriate behaviour, in accordance to his public figure. The electors need to take those figures as their model. In a civil country, with a right justice system, the consequences of actions which undermine the credibility of the country should be suitable to a right sense of decency, responsibility and morality.

How should be filthy a scandal in Italy to lead a Prime Minister to resign? Is this the country of indecency and immorality?

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