On 27 May 2025, during the annual ENIC-NARIC meeting in Tirana, the ETINED platform hosted a dedicated workshop, Spotting the Fakes: Navigating Education Fraud in a Digital Age. The event brought together ENIC-NARIC centre representatives and international experts to discuss practical strategies for detecting and combating fraudulent qualifications.
The workshop opened with an overview of ETINED’s role in promoting integrity and transparency in education, and how this complements the work of recognition bodies in tackling credential fraud.
Discussions centred on three key themes:
- ETINED’s relevance for ENIC-NARIC centres, highlighting opportunities for collaboration and shared responses to education fraud;
- The economic and societal impact of diploma mills, including the erosion of public trust and the financial cost of fraudulent qualifications;
- Emerging trends in rogue credential evaluators and fake accrediting bodies, with insights into increasingly sophisticated methods used to deceive institutions and employers.
A panel discussion chaired by Ursula Sticker (Council of Europe) featured insights from Adam Liwak (ENIC-NARIC Malta), Luca Lantero and Elisa Petrucci (ENIC-NARIC Italy), and André Hesselbäck (ENIC-NARIC Sweden). Speakers shared national experiences and stressed the need for peer learning and stronger cooperation to tackle diploma mills, digital forgeries, and sophisticated fraud schemes. The establishment of a Centre for Preventing and Countering Education Fraud in Rome, supported by ENIC-NARIC Italy, was highlighted as a key initiative to coordinate efforts and address education fraud across Europe.
The workshop was held back-to-back with the ETINED Bureau meeting, which focused on follow-up actions and strategic planning — including preparations for the 9th ETINED Plenary, which will take place on 5-6 November 2025.
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