The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved the procedure for revoking higher education degrees in cases of violations of academic integrity. The document sets out the entire process — from the review of a report on possible plagiarism to the adoption of a decision and the determination of its legal consequences. The procedure brings the process into line with the Law "On Academic Integrity," which came into force on 31 July 2026 and establishes uniform rules for responding to violations across the entire education system.
What exactly the Cabinet of Ministers established
The approved document describes the sequence of actions of the authorized body of an educational or scientific institution: how a report on a possible violation is registered, how it is reviewed, and how the final decision is formalized. Importantly, the mere receipt of a report on a violation does not mean automatic revocation of the degree — first, the report must be reviewed by the authorized body in accordance with the established procedure, and only as a result of this review can a decision on revocation be made.
Which violations fall under the procedure
This concerns exclusively violations identified in the qualifying work on the basis of which a person was awarded the corresponding higher education degree. In other words, the mechanism for revoking a degree is tied to the specific work that served as the basis for the award of the academic degree, and it covers such forms of violation as academic plagiarism, as well as fabrication and falsification of results.
Deadlines and procedure for review
The Law "On Academic Integrity" sets a strict time frame: the review of a report on academic plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification must be completed within six months of the day it is received. This creates a predictable procedural deadline for all parties — both for the person in respect of whom the review is conducted and for the authorized body, which is obliged to issue a decision within the established timeframe.
Context: uniform rules for the entire education system
The entry into force of the Law "On Academic Integrity" on 31 July 2026 and the subsequent approval by the Cabinet of Ministers of the procedure for revoking degrees complete the formation of the legal framework in which responses to violations of academic integrity are governed by uniform rules rather than the internal regulations of individual universities. Thus, the procedure for revoking a degree becomes standardized and applicable to the entire system of higher education and scientific institutions.
