Kazakhstan has shut down 20 websites offering fake diplomas. Materials related to these cases have been handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Culture and Information, reports infohub.kz.
The Ministry of Science and Higher Education reminded that today, diplomas of the national standard are issued only through a special system. Each document is automatically assigned a unique number and QR code, and a diploma can only be generated if the graduate's data is in the Unified Platform of Higher Education.
"Diplomas of the national standard that do not contain a generated unique number and QR code are considered invalid," the ministry stressed.
The ministry explained that the diploma database covers documents issued since 1991. Only authorized university staff have access to the system, and the diploma number is generated automatically based on the student's data.
Employers and graduates can verify the authenticity of a diploma through the Unified Platform of Higher Education service. The electronic version of the document is also available in the "Digital Documents" section of the eGov app.
The ministry reminded that producing, selling, or using fake diplomas entails criminal liability. Under Article 385 of the Criminal Code, violators face fines, correctional labor, restriction of freedom, or imprisonment for up to two years.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that the head of Kazakhtelecom, Bagdat Musin, said that a higher education alone is no longer enough for a successful career. In his opinion, specialists in any profession need to learn programming, artificial intelligence, and computer science, as new discoveries and in-demand professions will emerge at the intersection of technology and specialized disciplines.