At an extraordinary meeting on 17 May 2025, the SumDU Academic Board adopted a decision on facts that may indicate violations of academic integrity and corruption in training of degree candidates. There is a need to introduce an internal audit of training system of the scientific and pedagogical staff.

Please find the full text of the decision below.

Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science

Sumy State University

Decision of the Academic Board on the issue:

“Regarding the facts that may indicate violations of academic integrity and corrupt practices during the training of degree candidates and the need to introduce an internal audit of the training system of scientific and pedagogical staff at SumDU”

The SumDU Academic Board expresses deep concern and indignation over the exposure of Valeria MYRHOROD, a university employee who, according to the Security Service of Ukraine, organized a corruption scheme to extort money from graduate students for thesis supervision.

Valeriia MYRHOROD, the deputy director of the SumDU Law Institute, demanded an undue benefit of USD 6,000 from graduate students for ensuring the successful defense of their dissertations. In case of refusal to pay the bribe, the postgraduate students were deliberately created artificial obstacles that made it impossible to exercise their legal right to defense.

Law enforcement officers detained the suspect red-handed while receiving another installment of the bribe. At present, the pre-trial investigation is ongoing. It is conducted by the SBU in Sumy Oblast jointly with the SBU Main Investigation Department under procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office.

In view of the above, the SumDU Academic Board resolves:

1. To support the decision to temporarily suspend Valeriia MYRHOROD from her duties as the Law Institute deputy director until the trial end.
2. To prevent similar cases in future, an internal audit commission for preparation and certification of PhD students at the university is established. Its task will comprise:

• Checking procedures for preparing and defending theses;
• Identifying possible risks of dishonesty or abuse of power;
• Formulating proposals to enhance university’s internal policies in scientific certification.
• To submit proposals for updating internal regulations as to activities of supervisors, reviewers and specialized councils to the Academic Board within two weeks for preventing violations of academic integrity and corruption. The assignment is entrusted to Dmytro TSYHANIUK (the director of the Department for Human Resources and Staff Training);

4. To call on the academic community for adhering the principles of academic integrity, corruption intolerance. To facilitate detection of ethical standard violations via appropriate communication channels (in particular, through an internal portal for reporting abuses, etc.).
5. To publish the Academic Board appeal on the university website and distribute it among the staff as a confirmation of the university’s consistent position on academic ethics protection.

The SumDU Academic Board reaffirms its principled position on zero tolerance for academic integrity violations. We call on all members of the academic community to be responsible for their work, honesty in their research activities and vigilance in identifying signs of dishonest practices.

Approved by the Academic Board of SumDU.

Protocol 15 as of 17 May 2025.

Chairman of the Academic Board                                                                             Anatolii VASYLIEV

Secretary                                                                                                                   Anatolii RUBAN