The object of study here is Ukraine, a highly corrupted former Soviet republic. Specifically, Osipian researches the market of writing and defending doctoral dissertations, also known as the dissertations market. He identifies providers of the service, as well as types of services they offer and the prices they charge. Such “dissertations for order” services are accompanied by other services that provide the necessary requirements for a doctorate. University faculty play three distinct roles in this business, including that of customers, ghost-writers, and gatekeepers. Osipian's analysis suggests that fighting the corrupt practice of ghost-writing dissertations with legal means is unlikely to bring any drastic changes, for as long as there is demand for such services, there will be supply.
From the lecture, "Let Me Write a Dissertation for You: Faculty Misconduct, Corruption, and Doctoral Degree Fraud in Ukraine."
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