Kqed Science News

Thousands of writers in Kenya make their living ghostwriting academic papers for wealthy Western students.  It’s an industry known as “contract cheating” or “essay mills,” and is the subject of a new documentary, “The Shadow Scholars.” Directed by Eloise King, the film follows Kenyan-born Oxford Professor Patricia Kingori as she investigates this hidden industry and seeks to understand the essay writers working in the shadows of the educational system.  Morgan talks with Patricia and Eloise about the world of academic cheating, and how these writers are adapting to a world in which AI-generated essays are just a click away. Guests:  Patricia Kingori, professor of global health ethics at the University of Oxford Eloise King, director of “The Shadow Scholars” Further reading/listening:  The Shadow Scholars — Directed by Eloise King  Kenya’s “Fake Essay” Writers and the Light they Shine on Assumptions of Shadows in Knowledge Production — Patricia Kingori, Journal of African Cultural Studies  How writ