In previous issues of Plagiarism Navigator, we explored the journeys of Russian-language academic texts across various countries in Europe and Asia. Today’s issue tells the story of publications in Australian journals, intertwining the Zhukov-Fedyakin family clan from the Russian State Social University (RSSU), former Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky, former RSSU rector Natalia Pochinok, and a Kuban engineer who infiltrated Australia via a Polish journal.

Incident Date: July 29, 2025
Incident Type: Treason
Institution: Plekhanov Russian University of Economics (PRUE)

The Russian authorities, through Rosobrnadzor, are dismantling Shaninka (the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences, MSSES). T-invariant spoke with Marina Kalashnikova, former dean of Shaninka’s Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, now leading the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences in Montenegro. Was it challenging to explain the program to Montenegrins? How did the university find its place in a resort country? And why did around 40 students choose it over other European universities also teaching in English?

Following the invasion of Ukraine, hundreds of Western brands exited Russia. Over the past three-plus years, amid official rhetoric about import substitution, a parallel logistics system has taken shape — one that keeps Russian store shelves stocked with foreign goods and supplies drones and other military equipment with critical components. As the country adapts to a long-term life under sanctions, this parallel economy demands new expertise. Russian universities and other players in the education market have ramped up the production of specialists trained in the fine art of sanctions circumvention.

On July 11, the Pereslavl District Court announced the verdict for Sergei Abramov, a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). The court found the scientist guilty of funding extremist activities (Part 1, Article 282.3 of the Russian Criminal Code) and imposed a fine of 150,000 rubles (approximately $1,500). The charges stemmed from seven donations totaling 7,000 rubles (~$70) to the FBK (the transliterated Russian acronym for Fond Borby s Korruptsiyey — the Anti-Corruption Foundation founded by Alexey Navalny). While the legal ordeal has concluded, Abramov’s return to an active professional life remains a distant prospect. In an interview with T-invariant prior to the verdict, Sergei Abramov described how his presence on the “extremists and terrorists” list has led to what he calls, if not a “civil death,” then severe civil disability.

In a previous Plagiarism Navigator investigation, we exposed Iranian scholars who defended stolen Russian dissertations—translated into Tajik—at Tajik universities. They exploited a loophole known as “dissertation tourism,” which offers a backdoor into the global academic community: via Tajikistan and Russia’s Higher Attestation Commission (VAK). Unsurprisingly, Tajik scholars themselves have embraced this backdoor enthusiastically. With the highest number of plagiarized dissertations per capita, Tajikistan tops Dissernet’s global rankings by a wide margin. Today, we examine the career of Kobiljon Khushvakhtzoda—a former provincial accountant who climbed the ranks to become Chairman of Tajikistan’s Academy of Sciences.