what to do about plagiarism by emigres

[Edward M Dumanis]

I'd like to commend Robert Hunter for a very good piece he wrote
comparing Russian and our culture with respect to academic standards.
Let me contribute my two cents.
Yes, the problem is very deep, and its roots are in a very different idea
on what is good.  From their early age children are taught there to help
each other and to appreciate such help.  At the very beginning of their
school life, they are involved in a tradition where when a student is
being questioned by the teacher and does not know the answer, the others
are trying to whisper the answer to that student ("podskazka"). Since
the teacher grades the answers, the answering student might get a better
grade for which s/he would be praised at home.  It gives the birth to the
mutual gratitude of students for this activity.  So, from the very
beginning, this particular type of academic dishonesty is encouraged
there by peers, and leads to ignoring and treating it as absolutely
normal other types of academic dishonesty later.

Edward Dumanis <dumanis at acsu.buffalo.edu>