Students about corruption at the university: A gender aspect

The research is aimed at studying students’ opinions about corruption at the university. The authors give ambiguous assessments of the nature of corruption at the university, including taking into account gender characteristics. The aim of the work is to determine the nature of corruption, its causes, factors influencing the reduction of corruption, and also to determine the influence of gender on these assessments based on the study of students’ opinions about corruption at the university. The methodological basis of the research was works by leading foreign and Russian scientists. The study was conducted using general scientific methods, such as systems analysis, questionnaires, generalization and systematization, comparison. The empirical basis is based on a survey of 400 students and 14 individual semi-structured interviews of students of the Ural State University of Economics and St. Petersburg State University, collected in 2022. As a result of the study, it has been found that the majority of the students, according to them, did not participate in corruption relations, but a third of the respondents consider it as a means suitable in a difficult life situation. According to the students, low salaries, low moral level of some of the professors and staff of the university, as well as ineffective administrative control, have the greatest influence on the existence of corruption at the university. The following can significantly affect the reduction of corruption at the university: increased responsibility for acts of corruption, increased salaries of university professors and staff, as well as increased administrative control. Compared to female students, male students are more willing to commit acts of corruption, if these acts bring benefits, help get out of a difficult situation; they more often carry out commercial bribery at the university, use the official position of professors and administrators to solve personal problems. Male students consider financial factors (low salaries of most university professors and staff) and female students consider personal moral qualities as the most important causes of corruption. A gender approach was also manifested in the evaluation of measures to reduce corruption: male students preferred administrative, forceful measures of struggle (increased responsibility, control), as well as increased salaries for university professors and staff, while female students thought of timely legal information and trust as measures to prevent corruption. The hypothesis is confirmed that gender has an impact on the university students’ assessment of the nature of corruption, its causes, as well as factors that, according to students, can reduce the level of corruption. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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