The Shadow Scholar

This film investigates the multi-billion-dollar academic ghostwriting industry that spans the globe. In this system, many highly educated but underemployed Kenyans write essays and theses for students around the world. The film follows the research and investigation of Patricia Kingori, a professor at Oxford University, revealing the workings of this hidden economy and presenting the far-reaching impact of education outsourcing: on the one hand, Kenyan writers who rely on ghostwriting work to make a living, but have long been underestimated and underpaid; on the other hand, there are the ethical and institutional issues faced by students and educational institutions who benefit from it.