NSW universities should consider separating the academic compliance and business functions of their international student officesto reduce corruption, a new paper from the Independent Commission Against Corruption has found.

Based on consultations with more that 40 academics from every publicly funded university in NSW, the paper highlighted a number of key concerns that have plagued the tertiary sector as enrolments of international students have reached record numbers, with 17 per cent of university operating revenues now from international students fees.

Yingying Dou, the head of MyMaster. Up to 1000 students contracted the Sydney-based company's services to write assignments and sit online tests. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

The commission found academics were under pressure "to forsake their role in enforcing compliance with academic standards for the financial good of the faculty in the competitive environment of the international student market".

"But to intertwine compliance and profit rather than separating them, and to reward profit over compliance, can be conducive to questionable and corrupt behaviour," the paper said.