Fact-check: No evidence the World Academic Competition exists

The competition has no digital footprint, and major news outlets haven’t reported it. A rare case of global competition.

By Ochaya Jackson

Social media reports going viral have indicated that South Sudanese Gai Malong Awan has won the “World Academic Competition” which was reportedly held in London. 

According to the certificate of appreciation, Gai Malong was pictured with and posted on social media, the event was allegedly held on September 12th.

“South Sudanese, Mr. Gai Malong Awan wins top position at The World Academic Competition (WAC) in London. Gai scored an average of 94% in all exams. The competition ranked South Sudan in the first position, followed by England, Sweden and USA,” reads the Facebook post seen by 211 Check.

However, did this competition even happen, or does it even exist? 211 Check investigated this assertion.

Digital Footprint:

A simple google search returns no result related to The World Academic Compeition. It has no digital footprints both on websites and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Facebook and Twitter searches only return results related to posts of Gai winning the competition.

The email:

When 211 Check wrote to the email [email protected] indicated in the competition’s letterhead, Andy Carrel who manages the email said, “I don’t know anything about these claims or any competition by that name.”

The World Academic Competition category is not among the global academic competitions for students 2022-2023. The link is here  

Photos shared with the claim:

The report also included the picture of thousands of spectators claimed to be attendees of the event alongside South Sudanese Gai Malong Awan, but reverse image searches on some of the photos return results of the same photos from different events and not a World Academic Competition. 

Two of the photos was taken during World Scholars Cup by A.B. Paterson College Foundation….without Gai Malong among them. The link is here and here.

Another photo purportedly of panelists during the competition can be found on the website of the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations.

The Logo:

The logo used in the claim of World Academic Competition appears to be impersonating the “Seal of the World Scholars Cup Tournament of Champions at Yale University in the United States of America.” The link is here.

Conclusion:

211 Check has looked into a claim that a World Academic Competition (WAC) was held in London on 12 September 2022 and finds it unproven. The competition has no digital footprint, and major news outlets haven’t reported it. A rare case of global competition.