The Shadow Scholars

Behind the scenes of global academia, a hidden industry thrives—where highly educated Kenyans write essays for Western students.

In The Shadow Scholars, Oxford professor Patricia Kingori travels to Nairobi to investigate this surprising industry. What starts as an inquiry into academic ghostwriting soon reveals a deeper story—one tied to inequality, colonial history, and the global job market. As Kingori uncovers more about how and why this industry exists, her perspective begins to shift. The film challenges assumptions about academic integrity and exposes the far-reaching consequences of a system that enables students to buy knowledge while those producing it remain in the shadows. A gripping and eye-opening documentary that challenges what we think we know about academia.

Aftertalk with Gabriel Dinda Olewe

What challenges do young Africans face, regarding unemployment, and how does it intertwine with reading, writing and the environment? How does shadow writing fit into this picture? In the aftertalk with Gabriel Dinda Olewe, we talk about youth (un)employment, activism and the writing culture in Kenya.

Gabriel Dinda Olewe is a PhD candidate at University of Groningen and University of Nairobi, pursuing Ph.D in Climate Change and Adaptation. His research investigates the impact of youth activism in influencing climate policies. In 2014, he founded Writers Guild Kenya, a Centre for readers & writers working to encourage general reading and writing culture in Kenya. He is the author of Questions of my Youth (2019), Guide to Self-Publishing (2018), Youth Unemployment in Kenya, a Ticking Time Bomb (Co-authored, 2016) and currently finalizing on his latest manuscript, “The Journey”

InScience International Science Film Festival Nijmegen is one of the largest science film festivals in Europe. The program consists of an overview of the best science films of the year. InScience takes place every spring in Nijmegen, but the festival also tours the entire country with the best films of the previous edition. This year, Groningen has a full InScience On Tour programme with the three top films The Shadow Scholars, Nocturnes and Witches. After each screening, scientists and the audience will discuss with each other to share new insights.

In collaboration with Forum Groningen. The Groningen InScience Festival is co-funded by the European Commission, under the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme, grant agreement No.101162172.