DUBAI // As universities instal surveillance cameras to try to combat cheating, websites are still offering essay-writing services that allow students to hand in perfect work with no effort.
Cheating is a well-known and pervasive problem. Many educators complain that they face a total lack of understanding from many students - and even some teachers - that there is anything wrong in submitting work that is not their own.
Even among students who realise it is not acceptable, an "everybody's at it" attitude persists.
Last year, the American University in the Emirates (AUE) became the first to install cameras in corridors, classes and exam halls, although the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced in November that it would soon do the same in all federal universities.
AUE believes the move has already cut cheating by three-quarters. "We haven't stopped them, no," admits its president, Prof Muthanna Razzaq, "but this semester there have been 120 cases ... out of nearly 3,000 students. In the beginning, this was 100 per cent."
The university's provost, Prof Nabeel Jurdi, says cheating is ingrained in the education culture "from way down".
Prof Razzaq adds: "I can't change it. There are some students who have been doing this since KG2 [age 5-6]. For exams I'm even cutting off mobile phone and wireless signals."
Meanwhile, a host of websites offer professional, degree-level essay writing services, boasting that they can beat any anti-plagiarism system.
One says: "Our experienced PhD and Master level writers are able to produce custom essays on all Business related topics according to the requirements and format you need.
"All papers ordered from us are completely authentic. Our custom essays are written solely for you."
In October, one leaflet from UAE Essays was left on all the cars in the male campus of Zayed University, offering services from essay writing to personal statements and PowerPoint presentations.
It read: "We do them all for any course and any major that you are enrolled in."
One Zayed University student whose friends have used the service, says: "It has become a business. There are plenty of students who can easily afford Dh500-Dh1,000 for a paper if it means good grades. I don't see the point in being here if I'm not going to achieve it for myself though."
Dr Kenneth Wilson, campus head of Zayed University, says: "This is a challenge for everybody, especially in the digital age. We, like every university in the world, are grappling with this."
He says there have been cases of students being caught using professional writing services. "The system comes down very hard on them and it can lead to suspension from the university."
At UAE University, one science student says using an essay-writing service is seen merely as seeking help, not cheating.
"We have so much to do and we need help," she says. "We approach these people because it may just be something small, like checking grammar, but there is a lot of pressure."
One business student at Al Ain Women's College admits she had used an online service because her workload was too high.
"It's too much," she says. "There are daily and weekly reports, so many assignments, it's hard to cope. I have even more work to do than my friends at UAEU. It's worse for the men as many of them have jobs too."
Universities are doing what they can to educate their students about the ethics of plagiarism. But, says Dr Wilson, "it's hard for them to get their head around in the beginning".
In December 2010, 34 students were expelled from Abu Dhabi University for cheating. It has been a wake-up call to students.
Fatima Abdul-Kader, 19, a finance student, says: "The university has made students more aware of the policy on cheating. Some people are completely new to the concept of plagiarism."
Raed Al Mesbahi, 21, adds that the expulsions had helped raise academic standards. "The lecturers are being more strict now."
[ mswan@thenational.ae ]
Which products are to be taxed?
To be taxed:
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Products excluded from the ‘sweetened drink’ category would contain at least 75 per cent milk in a ready-to-drink form or as a milk substitute, baby formula, follow-up formula or baby food, beverages consumed for medicinal use and special dietary needs determined as per GCC Standardisation Organisation rules
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Company name: ASI (formerly DigestAI)
Started: 2017
Founders: Quddus Pativada
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Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
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Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
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6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,600m
Winner: Superior, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
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Handicap Dh 190,000 1,400m
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Handicap Dh 175,000 1,600m
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10pm: Handicap Dh 165,000 1,600m
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Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
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Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
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Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
SPECS
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Power: 101hp
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Equestrian
Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi, Abdullah Al Marri, Omar Al Marzooqi, Salem Al Suwaidi, and Ali Al Karbi (four to be selected).
Judo
Men: Narmandakh Bayanmunkh (66kg), Nugzari Tatalashvili (81kg), Aram Grigorian (90kg), Dzhafar Kostoev (100kg), Magomedomar Magomedomarov (+100kg); women's Khorloodoi Bishrelt (52kg).
Cycling
Safia Al Sayegh (women's road race).
Swimming
Men: Yousef Rashid Al Matroushi (100m freestyle); women: Maha Abdullah Al Shehi (200m freestyle).
Athletics
Maryam Mohammed Al Farsi (women's 100 metres).
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1. Mathieu van der Poel (NED) Alpecin-Fenix 4:18:30
2. Tadej Pogacar (SLV) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:06
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Starring: Aida Abboud, Carol Mansour
Rating: 3.5./5
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Name: Direct Debit System
Started: Sept 2017
Based: UAE with a subsidiary in the UK
Industry: FinTech
Funding: Undisclosed
Investors: Elaine Jones
Number of employees: 8
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18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee