Aug 30, 2009 By HARIATI AZIZAN
PETALING JAYA: The Higher Education Ministry is drafting a new law to give it more powers to act against degree mills in the country.
Higher Education director-general Prof Datuk Dr Radin Umar Radin Sohadi said that under current higher education laws, the ministry could take action against errant education providers only if they were registered as a university or college, or have an operation in the country.
“Our system is in place to protect students from unauthorised institutions. Unfortunately, there are too many loopholes, so we are looking at ways to strengthen our education laws to curb errant providers like degree mills,” he told The Star.
Under the Private Higher Education Institutions Act, he said, all private education service providers operating on Malaysian soil were required to register with the ministry and get its approval before they could run any programmes, including online and distance learning programmes.
“If they are not registered as an educational institution in Malaysia, we do not have the power to take any action against them.
“But if there is a strong case of fraud, they can be charged under the Police Act,” he said.
A recent Starprobe report on dodgy degrees revealed that most of the unauthorised education service providers were registered overseas or as business entities.
Another measure that was on the drawing board was a database of PhD holders in Malaysia, Dr Radin Umar said.
“We are reviewing existing laws to register PhD holders. The registry will be similar to that of professional bodies and the medical register (under the Malaysian Medical Council),” he said.
This would help weed out not only those who have qualifications from unrecognised institutions but also those who falsify their qualifications. He said details were still being finalised but the registry would likely be implemented by the end of the year.
“One aspect we are looking at is to make it compulsory for those who are looking to work as lecturers in public and private higher education institutions in the country to be registered with us.
“It is important to regulate this so we can protect the integrity of our academia,” Dr Radin Umar said.
He conceded that it would be impossible to compel all PhD holders to register their doctorates.
“It is something that we need to study but we are confident that many will register because most PhD holders will be looking to work as academics.
“This measure is vital if we are to attract more international students to study here and strengthen our position as a regional centre of higher education,” he said.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Malaysia ranked 11th most preferred study destination - Star
Aug 29, 2009 By RICHARD LIM
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is currently the world’s 11th most preferred study destination.
The conclusion was based on the fact that 69,154 international students from more than 150 countries have chosen Malaysia as the country they wanted to study in.
With the majority of students coming from Indonesia, China and the Middle East, the new figure was a 26.5% increase from the old count of 50,788, which was recorded on March 31 last year. The ranking was obtained from the Institute of International Education.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the rise indicated that the ministry’s target to have 80,000 international students by 2010 was achievable.
“We’re happy to have 2% of the world’s international student population,” he told reporters yesterday after announcing the National Higher Education Strategic Plan’s progress report.
“Malaysia is now regarded as an emerging contender to attract international students and we will improve our efforts as there will be an estimated eight million international students by 2025.”
The percentage was taken from the Unesco Institute for Statistics.
Mohamed Khaled said the ministry’s drive to liberalise higher education would not result in an influx of foreign institutions.
“Liberalisation does not mean any foreign university can come to Malaysia.
“Rather, it is co-ordinated regulation that encourages healthy competition amongst private institutions.”
The ministry has already given the green light for Newcastle University of Medicine to set up a branch campus at Iskandar Malaysia’s Educity in Nusajaya, Johor.
It is understood that local conglomerates are negotiating with the Korean Maritime Univer-sity, Southampton University, Royal Holloway University, King’s College London, the Univer-sity of Birmingham and Murdoch University to set up branch campuses in Malaysia.
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is currently the world’s 11th most preferred study destination.
The conclusion was based on the fact that 69,154 international students from more than 150 countries have chosen Malaysia as the country they wanted to study in.
With the majority of students coming from Indonesia, China and the Middle East, the new figure was a 26.5% increase from the old count of 50,788, which was recorded on March 31 last year. The ranking was obtained from the Institute of International Education.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the rise indicated that the ministry’s target to have 80,000 international students by 2010 was achievable.
“We’re happy to have 2% of the world’s international student population,” he told reporters yesterday after announcing the National Higher Education Strategic Plan’s progress report.
“Malaysia is now regarded as an emerging contender to attract international students and we will improve our efforts as there will be an estimated eight million international students by 2025.”
The percentage was taken from the Unesco Institute for Statistics.
Mohamed Khaled said the ministry’s drive to liberalise higher education would not result in an influx of foreign institutions.
“Liberalisation does not mean any foreign university can come to Malaysia.
“Rather, it is co-ordinated regulation that encourages healthy competition amongst private institutions.”
The ministry has already given the green light for Newcastle University of Medicine to set up a branch campus at Iskandar Malaysia’s Educity in Nusajaya, Johor.
It is understood that local conglomerates are negotiating with the Korean Maritime Univer-sity, Southampton University, Royal Holloway University, King’s College London, the Univer-sity of Birmingham and Murdoch University to set up branch campuses in Malaysia.
Driven to driving a taxi despite having a PhD - Star
Aug 29, 2009 INSIGHT DOWN SOUTH By SEAH CHIANG NEE
Bio-chemist Dr Cai Minnjie who failed to land another research position after losing his job last year now happily prowls the streets as a cabbie.
SINGAPORE’S fraternity of taxi drivers, with its fair share of retrenched executives, has now an exalted new member – a PhD bio-chemist from Stanford University.
Prowling the streets of Singapore today is 57-year-old unemployed scientist Dr Cai Mingjie who lost his job at Singapore’s premier A-Star biomedical research institute last year.
The China-born naturalised citizen with 16 years of research accomplishments said he began driving a taxi last October after failed efforts to land another job.
The news shocked this nation, which holds an unshakable faith in the power of an advanced university education.
One surprised white-collar worker said he had believed that such a doctorate and experience was as good as life-long employment and success.
“If he has to drive a taxi, what chances do ordinary people like us have?” he asked.
I have met a number of highly qualified taxi drivers in recent years, including former managers and a retrenched engineer.
One cheerful driver – a former stock-broker – surprised me one day in giving me detailed reasons on what stocks to buy or avoid.
“At a time like this, the taxi business is probably the only business in Singapore that still actively recruits people,” said Dr Cai.
To me, his plight is taking Singapore into a new chapter.
“(I am) probably the only taxi driver in the world with a PhD from Stanford and a proven track record of scientific accomplishments ...,” blogged Dr Cai.
“I have been forced out of my research job at the height of my scientific career” and was unable to find another job “for reasons I can only describe as something uniquely Singapore”.
The story quickly spread far and wide over the Internet. Most Singaporeans expressed admiration for his ability to adapt so quickly to his new life. Two young Singaporeans asked for his taxi number, saying they would love to travel in his cab and talk to him.
“There’s so much he can pass on to me,” one said.
Others questioned why, despite his tremendous scientific experience, he is unable to find a teaching job.
His unhappy exit is generally attributed to a personal cause (he has alleged chaotic management by research heads) rather than any decline in Singapore’s bio-tech project, which appears to be surviving the downturn.
The case highlights a general weakening of the R and D (research and development) market in smallish Singapore.
“The bad economy means not many firms are hiring professional scientists,” one surfer said. “Academia isn’t much of a help – there’s a long history of too many PhDs chasing too few jobs.”
While the image of taxi drivers has received a tremendous boost, the same cannot be said of Singapore’s biomedical project – particularly its efforts to nourish home-grown research talent.
“It may turn more Singaporeans away from Life Sciences as a career,” said one blogger.
One writer said: “In my opinion, PhDs are useless, especially in Singapore. It’s just another certificate and doesn’t mean much.”
Another added: “The US is in a worse situation. Many are coming here to look for jobs.”
“I won’t want my child to study for years to end up driving a taxi,” said a housewife with a teenage daughter.
The naturalised Singaporean citizen underwent his PhD training at Stanford University, the majority of his work revolving around the study of yeast proteins.
His case is not unique. US research-scientist Douglas Prasher, who isolated the gene that creates the green fluorescent protein (and just missed the 2008 Chemistry Nobel Prize) faced similar straits.
Prasher moved from one research institution to another when his funding dried up, and he eventually quit science – to drive a courtesy shuttle in Alabama.
“Still, he remains humble and happy and seems content with his minivan driver job,” said a surfer.
With an evolving job market as more employers resort to multi-tasking and short-term contracts, more Singaporeans are chasing after split degrees, like accountancy and law or computer and business.
Others avoid post-graduate studies or specialised courses of a fixed discipline in favour of general or multi-discipline studies. “Experience is king” is the watchword; there has been a rush for no-pay internships.
“The future favours graduates with multiple skills and career flexibility, people who are able to adapt to different types of work,” one business executive said.
During the past few years, as globalisation deepened, there has been a growing disconnect between what Singaporeans studied in university and their subsequent careers.
It follows the trend in the developed world where old businesses disappear – almost overnight – and new ones spring up, which poses problems for graduates with an inflexible job expectation.
I know of a young man who graduated from one of America’s top civil engineering universities abandoning the construction hard hat for a teaching gown.
Another engineer I met is running his father’s lucrative coffee shop. Lawyers have become musicians or journalists, and so on.
Cases of people working in jobs unrelated to their university training have become so common that interviewers have stopped asking candidates questions like “Why should a trained scientist like you want to work as a junior executive with us?”
In the past, parents would crack their heads pondering what their children should study – accountancy or law or engineering, the so-called secure careers – and see them move single-mindedly into these professions.
A doctor was then a doctor, a biologist generally worked in the lab and a lawyer argued cases in courts – square pegs in square holes, so to speak.
Today the world is slowly moving away from this neat pattern.
Bio-chemist Dr Cai Minnjie who failed to land another research position after losing his job last year now happily prowls the streets as a cabbie.
SINGAPORE’S fraternity of taxi drivers, with its fair share of retrenched executives, has now an exalted new member – a PhD bio-chemist from Stanford University.
Prowling the streets of Singapore today is 57-year-old unemployed scientist Dr Cai Mingjie who lost his job at Singapore’s premier A-Star biomedical research institute last year.
The China-born naturalised citizen with 16 years of research accomplishments said he began driving a taxi last October after failed efforts to land another job.
The news shocked this nation, which holds an unshakable faith in the power of an advanced university education.
One surprised white-collar worker said he had believed that such a doctorate and experience was as good as life-long employment and success.
“If he has to drive a taxi, what chances do ordinary people like us have?” he asked.
I have met a number of highly qualified taxi drivers in recent years, including former managers and a retrenched engineer.
One cheerful driver – a former stock-broker – surprised me one day in giving me detailed reasons on what stocks to buy or avoid.
“At a time like this, the taxi business is probably the only business in Singapore that still actively recruits people,” said Dr Cai.
To me, his plight is taking Singapore into a new chapter.
“(I am) probably the only taxi driver in the world with a PhD from Stanford and a proven track record of scientific accomplishments ...,” blogged Dr Cai.
“I have been forced out of my research job at the height of my scientific career” and was unable to find another job “for reasons I can only describe as something uniquely Singapore”.
The story quickly spread far and wide over the Internet. Most Singaporeans expressed admiration for his ability to adapt so quickly to his new life. Two young Singaporeans asked for his taxi number, saying they would love to travel in his cab and talk to him.
“There’s so much he can pass on to me,” one said.
Others questioned why, despite his tremendous scientific experience, he is unable to find a teaching job.
His unhappy exit is generally attributed to a personal cause (he has alleged chaotic management by research heads) rather than any decline in Singapore’s bio-tech project, which appears to be surviving the downturn.
The case highlights a general weakening of the R and D (research and development) market in smallish Singapore.
“The bad economy means not many firms are hiring professional scientists,” one surfer said. “Academia isn’t much of a help – there’s a long history of too many PhDs chasing too few jobs.”
While the image of taxi drivers has received a tremendous boost, the same cannot be said of Singapore’s biomedical project – particularly its efforts to nourish home-grown research talent.
“It may turn more Singaporeans away from Life Sciences as a career,” said one blogger.
One writer said: “In my opinion, PhDs are useless, especially in Singapore. It’s just another certificate and doesn’t mean much.”
Another added: “The US is in a worse situation. Many are coming here to look for jobs.”
“I won’t want my child to study for years to end up driving a taxi,” said a housewife with a teenage daughter.
The naturalised Singaporean citizen underwent his PhD training at Stanford University, the majority of his work revolving around the study of yeast proteins.
His case is not unique. US research-scientist Douglas Prasher, who isolated the gene that creates the green fluorescent protein (and just missed the 2008 Chemistry Nobel Prize) faced similar straits.
Prasher moved from one research institution to another when his funding dried up, and he eventually quit science – to drive a courtesy shuttle in Alabama.
“Still, he remains humble and happy and seems content with his minivan driver job,” said a surfer.
With an evolving job market as more employers resort to multi-tasking and short-term contracts, more Singaporeans are chasing after split degrees, like accountancy and law or computer and business.
Others avoid post-graduate studies or specialised courses of a fixed discipline in favour of general or multi-discipline studies. “Experience is king” is the watchword; there has been a rush for no-pay internships.
“The future favours graduates with multiple skills and career flexibility, people who are able to adapt to different types of work,” one business executive said.
During the past few years, as globalisation deepened, there has been a growing disconnect between what Singaporeans studied in university and their subsequent careers.
It follows the trend in the developed world where old businesses disappear – almost overnight – and new ones spring up, which poses problems for graduates with an inflexible job expectation.
I know of a young man who graduated from one of America’s top civil engineering universities abandoning the construction hard hat for a teaching gown.
Another engineer I met is running his father’s lucrative coffee shop. Lawyers have become musicians or journalists, and so on.
Cases of people working in jobs unrelated to their university training have become so common that interviewers have stopped asking candidates questions like “Why should a trained scientist like you want to work as a junior executive with us?”
In the past, parents would crack their heads pondering what their children should study – accountancy or law or engineering, the so-called secure careers – and see them move single-mindedly into these professions.
A doctor was then a doctor, a biologist generally worked in the lab and a lawyer argued cases in courts – square pegs in square holes, so to speak.
Today the world is slowly moving away from this neat pattern.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Database of grads planned - Star
Aug 25, 2009 By RICHARD LIM
PETALING JAYA: Degree holders might soon be required to register their academic qualifications with the Higher Education Ministry.
According to Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, the move was designed to curb the problem of degree mills.
“We will propose a new Act which requires degree holders to supply us with relevant information so we can check the legitimacy of the awarding institutions,” he told The Star in a telephone interview.
“More on this matter will be announced in the ministry’s next roundup meeting soon.”
Mohamed Khaled was responding to a Starprobe report on dodgy degrees offered by degree mills where little or no study was needed.
When told of the proposed measure, Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities president Dr Parmjit Singh was pleasantly surprised.
Describing the proposal as a bold move, he said the formulation of an effective database — which employers could refer to — would address the problem as bogus degree holders would not gain any benefits.
However, he was concerned about how the proposed Act would be enforced.
“Care must be taken and there cannot be any inaccurate records,” he said. “Also, what is going to compel degree holders from complying?”
Meanwhile, Sunway University College and Sunway Education Group executive director Elizabeth Lee said the problem did not lie solely with degrees and dubious MBAs and PhDs had to be addressed as well.
Mohamed Khaled also said that although societal pressure and the hope for better salaries drove some to attain academic qualifications through illicit means, integrity had to be upheld.
He urged the public to be on their guard against those offering fake academic qualifications.
“The public must be discerning and check the track record of institutions,” he said.
“When minimal effort is needed, an opportunity to obtain a degree simply by paying is the sign of a scam.”
PETALING JAYA: Degree holders might soon be required to register their academic qualifications with the Higher Education Ministry.
According to Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, the move was designed to curb the problem of degree mills.
“We will propose a new Act which requires degree holders to supply us with relevant information so we can check the legitimacy of the awarding institutions,” he told The Star in a telephone interview.
“More on this matter will be announced in the ministry’s next roundup meeting soon.”
Mohamed Khaled was responding to a Starprobe report on dodgy degrees offered by degree mills where little or no study was needed.
When told of the proposed measure, Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities president Dr Parmjit Singh was pleasantly surprised.
Describing the proposal as a bold move, he said the formulation of an effective database — which employers could refer to — would address the problem as bogus degree holders would not gain any benefits.
However, he was concerned about how the proposed Act would be enforced.
“Care must be taken and there cannot be any inaccurate records,” he said. “Also, what is going to compel degree holders from complying?”
Meanwhile, Sunway University College and Sunway Education Group executive director Elizabeth Lee said the problem did not lie solely with degrees and dubious MBAs and PhDs had to be addressed as well.
Mohamed Khaled also said that although societal pressure and the hope for better salaries drove some to attain academic qualifications through illicit means, integrity had to be upheld.
He urged the public to be on their guard against those offering fake academic qualifications.
“The public must be discerning and check the track record of institutions,” he said.
“When minimal effort is needed, an opportunity to obtain a degree simply by paying is the sign of a scam.”
‘Grads’ unable to contact IIU - Star
Aug 25, 2009 By HARIATI AZIZAN
PETALING JAYA: Attempts by a few “graduates” of alleged degree mill Irish International University (IIU) to contact their alma mater after the Starprobe’s expose came to nought yesterday.
“I called their office many times but nobody picked up the phone. I just want to get a clarification from them,” said a marketing executive who holds a Master’s of Business Administration from the institution, which had changed its name to Isles International University.
The executive, who only wanted to be known as C.C. Lee, said she had been worried about her position at work since reading Sunday’s Starprobe report on “dodgy” degrees.
When the Starprobe team checked out the official IIU office in Petaling Jaya - as stated in their website and correspondence - they were greeted by a padlocked door with only a forwarding number pasted on it.
When the Starprobe team tried to call the new number no one picked up the phone.
A quick visit at the “new” office, located nearby, revealed that it was still operational.
Another IIU victim who only wanted to be known as Vernon said he was considering taking legal action against the institution.
“I was shocked to read the Starprobe report. My convocation ceremony in 2006 was very ‘real’ - it was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and I received my scroll from a deputy minister. We had guests of honour, who claimed to be academics from the European Union University, to witness the ceremony,” he said.
Vernon, who works in the hospitality sector, said that he found out about the university from a booth the institution had set up at a Tesco outlet.
“I was browsing through their brochures when they offered me an opportunity to get a degree. They told me that with my 10 years of experience, I was eligible for a degree if I submitted a project paper. They showed me pictures of famous people who received degrees from them and video clips of their past convocation ceremonies,” he said.
“I regret it now. I should have suspected that something was wrong because it was too easy but they really convinced me that my experience meant something and that their operation was legitimate,” he added.
PETALING JAYA: Attempts by a few “graduates” of alleged degree mill Irish International University (IIU) to contact their alma mater after the Starprobe’s expose came to nought yesterday.“I called their office many times but nobody picked up the phone. I just want to get a clarification from them,” said a marketing executive who holds a Master’s of Business Administration from the institution, which had changed its name to Isles International University.
The executive, who only wanted to be known as C.C. Lee, said she had been worried about her position at work since reading Sunday’s Starprobe report on “dodgy” degrees.
When the Starprobe team checked out the official IIU office in Petaling Jaya - as stated in their website and correspondence - they were greeted by a padlocked door with only a forwarding number pasted on it.
When the Starprobe team tried to call the new number no one picked up the phone.
A quick visit at the “new” office, located nearby, revealed that it was still operational.
Another IIU victim who only wanted to be known as Vernon said he was considering taking legal action against the institution.
“I was shocked to read the Starprobe report. My convocation ceremony in 2006 was very ‘real’ - it was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and I received my scroll from a deputy minister. We had guests of honour, who claimed to be academics from the European Union University, to witness the ceremony,” he said.
Vernon, who works in the hospitality sector, said that he found out about the university from a booth the institution had set up at a Tesco outlet.
“I was browsing through their brochures when they offered me an opportunity to get a degree. They told me that with my 10 years of experience, I was eligible for a degree if I submitted a project paper. They showed me pictures of famous people who received degrees from them and video clips of their past convocation ceremonies,” he said.
“I regret it now. I should have suspected that something was wrong because it was too easy but they really convinced me that my experience meant something and that their operation was legitimate,” he added.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Duped by rogue college - Star
Aug 23, 2009
PETALING JAYA: “Really? I honestly didn’t know.” That was all one prominent public figure who received an honorary doctorate from notorious degree mill Irish International University could say when the Starprobe team informed him of the alleged scam.
The leading academic, who earned his Masters and PhD from an American university in the 1970s, said he was asked to submit all his academic studies and publications to the institution for their assessment before they awarded him a Doctor of Literature degree in 2001.
He added that he was informed that the honorary degree was in recognition of his scholarship and other contribution to Malaysia and the international community.
“They then invited me to attend their graduation ceremony at the University of London in the UK. They seemed very credible; that’s why I accepted the honorary degree,” said the renowned intellectual who was appointed senator a few years ago.
He claimed that he was not aware of the controversy surrounding the institution, which led it to be blacklisted by the Government in 2005. But now that he has been alerted, he said, he would drop the honorary mention from his profile. “If it is blacklisted, I don’t want to be seen endorsing it,” he said.
It is standard practice for these dodgy universities to invite prominent people, including politicians, to their convocations and conferring them with honorary degrees, said Irish deputy ambassador to Malaysia Eoin Duggan.
“It would add credibility to the institution’s name,” he said.
Duggan added that many who got the degrees were duped, but there were those who knew from the outset about the shady arrangements.
Convocation ceremonies could sometimes be quite elaborate, he said, citing a year when one of the organisations rented a room from a top university in England to confer their “graduates”.
One year, he said, the institution rented a room in Cambridge or Oxford University. In 2004, IIU, which set up a new “branch” in Cambodia, awarded the country’s Prime Minister Hun Sen with an honorary degree at its convocation ceremony.
Former vice-chancellor of Sunway University College Prof Jarlath Ronayne, however, felt that the recipients of the honorary degrees should check up the conferring institution’s reputation before accepting them.
“In the case of the IIU, it was reported on BBC last year that a top British businesswoman returned her honorary degree and severed all links with the university
when the whole set-up was exposed as a sham. That is what the recipients should do to stamp out this menace,” said Prof Ronayne, who has been monitoring the institution and the degree mill trend for some time.
Mary Chapman, chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, as reported by BBC London, had agreed to be guest of honour at a “graduation ceremony” for the institution held at Oxford University’s Divinity School. IIU then put her picture on its website to recruit more overseas students. After the BBC expose, Chapman cut all ties with the institution.
Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong believes that the sprouting of these bogus universities is spurred by the increasing demand for paper qualification.
“People are desperate to get a degree. Many are seeking Masters and doctorate degrees for self-enhancement, to get better jobs, better prospects and to strengthen their CVs.
“Many so-called graduates did not even pass their SPM. Some did not even sit for SPM but they have MBAs,” he said, adding that no statistics have been collected on the number of fake degree holders in Malaysia
PETALING JAYA: “Really? I honestly didn’t know.” That was all one prominent public figure who received an honorary doctorate from notorious degree mill Irish International University could say when the Starprobe team informed him of the alleged scam.
The leading academic, who earned his Masters and PhD from an American university in the 1970s, said he was asked to submit all his academic studies and publications to the institution for their assessment before they awarded him a Doctor of Literature degree in 2001.
He added that he was informed that the honorary degree was in recognition of his scholarship and other contribution to Malaysia and the international community.
“They then invited me to attend their graduation ceremony at the University of London in the UK. They seemed very credible; that’s why I accepted the honorary degree,” said the renowned intellectual who was appointed senator a few years ago.
He claimed that he was not aware of the controversy surrounding the institution, which led it to be blacklisted by the Government in 2005. But now that he has been alerted, he said, he would drop the honorary mention from his profile. “If it is blacklisted, I don’t want to be seen endorsing it,” he said.
It is standard practice for these dodgy universities to invite prominent people, including politicians, to their convocations and conferring them with honorary degrees, said Irish deputy ambassador to Malaysia Eoin Duggan.
“It would add credibility to the institution’s name,” he said.
Duggan added that many who got the degrees were duped, but there were those who knew from the outset about the shady arrangements.
Convocation ceremonies could sometimes be quite elaborate, he said, citing a year when one of the organisations rented a room from a top university in England to confer their “graduates”.
One year, he said, the institution rented a room in Cambridge or Oxford University. In 2004, IIU, which set up a new “branch” in Cambodia, awarded the country’s Prime Minister Hun Sen with an honorary degree at its convocation ceremony.
Former vice-chancellor of Sunway University College Prof Jarlath Ronayne, however, felt that the recipients of the honorary degrees should check up the conferring institution’s reputation before accepting them.
“In the case of the IIU, it was reported on BBC last year that a top British businesswoman returned her honorary degree and severed all links with the university
when the whole set-up was exposed as a sham. That is what the recipients should do to stamp out this menace,” said Prof Ronayne, who has been monitoring the institution and the degree mill trend for some time.
Mary Chapman, chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, as reported by BBC London, had agreed to be guest of honour at a “graduation ceremony” for the institution held at Oxford University’s Divinity School. IIU then put her picture on its website to recruit more overseas students. After the BBC expose, Chapman cut all ties with the institution.
Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong believes that the sprouting of these bogus universities is spurred by the increasing demand for paper qualification.
“People are desperate to get a degree. Many are seeking Masters and doctorate degrees for self-enhancement, to get better jobs, better prospects and to strengthen their CVs.
“Many so-called graduates did not even pass their SPM. Some did not even sit for SPM but they have MBAs,” he said, adding that no statistics have been collected on the number of fake degree holders in Malaysia
Dodgy degrees - Star
Aug 23, 2009
PETALING JAYA: Malaysians are so caught up with degrees that many would go to any lengths for one.
And degree mills — bodies that award degrees with little or no study — are ready to hand out the awards to many who want to boost their business position, social status or political standing.
The Starprobe’s search reveals that many Malaysians are buying dubious Bachelor’s, Master’s and even Doctorates from popular degree “conferring” bodies, among them the American-based Preston Uni-versity and Newport University; Dublin Metropolitan University (DMU) and Irish International University (IIU).
Other dubious institutions which are not in recognised accreditation registries include Connaught University, Pacific Western University, American Northeast State University, Western University, European University, Hill University, Rochville University and Buxton University.
When the Starprobe team conducted a search, including on the Internet, for the “alumni” of these degree mills, the list included prominent personalities in different sectors:
> a Selangor Umno division chief who is also chairman of a local publishing group (MBA, Connaught University, UK);
> a Kedah Umno division head and Umno Supreme Council member who became a self-made millionaire after school (MBA, Preston University, US);
> a Perak DAP state assemblyman (Bachelor of Business Administration, Paramount University of Technology, US) ;
> a retired Royal Malaysian Police department director who is now serving in a government body (MBA, Newport University, US);
> a leading Chinese educationist with three PhDs (PhD, Kensington University, US);
> a celebrity motivational speaker who has set up a private college (MBA and Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA), European Business School Cambridge of European Union);
> a top entrepreneur and chairman of one of Malaysia’s leading manufacturers (DBA, Irish International University); and
> a chairman of a local IT media company who was charged with furnishing false statement to the Bursa Malaysia (Bachelor of Science in Building Construction and Management, Connaught University, Ireland; MBA, North West London University, UK; and Doctorate of Philosophy in Business Administration, Pacific Western University, US).
The questionable “qualification” is evident in the official resumes of these public figures which the Starprobe team obtained from their offices or official websites.
When contacted, some were genuinely surprised to find out that they had been duped but others evaded questions and refused to comment.
One person with two alleged doctorates did not deny receiving the bogus doctorates but simply urged Starprobe to quote his third doctorate from the Southern Cross University, Australia, which is legitimate.
All the universities mentioned claim to be accredited, but none is recognised by the national accrediting body Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA) or its foreign accrediting partners.
The IIU was blacklisted by MQA(then known as National Accreditation Board) in July 2005.
A disturbing trend is that these dodgy institutions offer prominent personalities degrees so they can gain credibility with the “qualifications”.
This is the standard practice for many of these bogus universities, said a senior Irish academic attached to a local private university who declined to be named.
“These institutions go to another country, especially in the less developed and developing world, and offer local prominent personalities doctorates and other degrees. These are not honorary degrees but they don’t ask the VIPs for money either.
“They just invite the important people to put in a 1,500-word essay or write something about themselves, and they ‘award’ them their degrees.
“It becomes an endorsement of sorts — when the institutions get complaints from parents and students, they will simply point out the important people who have their degrees,” he explained, adding that it is prevalent because it is win-win for both parties.
“The institutions get the chance to be set up and the important people get their paper qualification.”
Republic of Ireland deputy ambassador to Malaysia Eoin Duggan highlighted another device for these universities to gain credibility.
They would invite VIPs, including politicians, to their convocations and sometimes confer on them honorary degrees.
“Their presence gives the ceremony importance. Having, say, a junior minister’s name on their list meanwhile would add credibility to the institution’s name,” he said.
For example, IIU’s previous honorary luminaries include a senator who is famous for championing minority rights, the president of one of Barisan Nasional’s component parties and the director of a local think tank.
Although most have wised up and dropped the dubious qualification from their resume, a few still list it in their academic credentials.
Education blogger Tony Pua believes that half of those holding bogus degrees knew that their “qualifications” were not bona fide.
“It lends credence to the university to have VIPs on their list. But if you can get a doctorate without doing any research, it is a fake one. It is impossible to get a credible doctorate via a long distance learning programme, especially if you are studying part-time,” said Pua, the Petaling Jaya Utara MP.
British Council Malaysia Education and Programmes Director Peter Clack agrees, pointing out that a degree is intended to reward academic excellence and requires hard work and commitment as that is what gives it its value with employers.
“If a degree course sounds too good to be true, then it is more than likely to be a bogus one,” he said.
Unfortunately, there is nothing much that authorities can do to stamp out this fraudulent practice.
Although the respective governments are aware of these dubious institutions, they have not been able to fully eliminate them as many are legitimately registered as business entities or exist mainly in the virtual world.
Many can only advise the public about the “bogus” institutions, like Ireland, which is distancing itself from the institutions claiming to be Irish.
However, these “bogus” bodies are experts in evading authorities; further checks revealed that IIU had changed its name to Isles International University. It has even maintained an international office in Petaling Jaya.
The degree mill issue has become such that the United Nations declared a war on this worldwide industry of fraudulent qualifications in June.
Calling it “an emerging academic corruption”, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) has issued a guideline for countries around the world to help eradicate these degree mills.
PETALING JAYA: Malaysians are so caught up with degrees that many would go to any lengths for one.
And degree mills — bodies that award degrees with little or no study — are ready to hand out the awards to many who want to boost their business position, social status or political standing.
The Starprobe’s search reveals that many Malaysians are buying dubious Bachelor’s, Master’s and even Doctorates from popular degree “conferring” bodies, among them the American-based Preston Uni-versity and Newport University; Dublin Metropolitan University (DMU) and Irish International University (IIU).
Other dubious institutions which are not in recognised accreditation registries include Connaught University, Pacific Western University, American Northeast State University, Western University, European University, Hill University, Rochville University and Buxton University.
When the Starprobe team conducted a search, including on the Internet, for the “alumni” of these degree mills, the list included prominent personalities in different sectors:
> a Selangor Umno division chief who is also chairman of a local publishing group (MBA, Connaught University, UK);
> a Kedah Umno division head and Umno Supreme Council member who became a self-made millionaire after school (MBA, Preston University, US);
> a Perak DAP state assemblyman (Bachelor of Business Administration, Paramount University of Technology, US) ;
> a retired Royal Malaysian Police department director who is now serving in a government body (MBA, Newport University, US);
> a leading Chinese educationist with three PhDs (PhD, Kensington University, US);
> a celebrity motivational speaker who has set up a private college (MBA and Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA), European Business School Cambridge of European Union);
> a top entrepreneur and chairman of one of Malaysia’s leading manufacturers (DBA, Irish International University); and
> a chairman of a local IT media company who was charged with furnishing false statement to the Bursa Malaysia (Bachelor of Science in Building Construction and Management, Connaught University, Ireland; MBA, North West London University, UK; and Doctorate of Philosophy in Business Administration, Pacific Western University, US).
The questionable “qualification” is evident in the official resumes of these public figures which the Starprobe team obtained from their offices or official websites.
When contacted, some were genuinely surprised to find out that they had been duped but others evaded questions and refused to comment.
One person with two alleged doctorates did not deny receiving the bogus doctorates but simply urged Starprobe to quote his third doctorate from the Southern Cross University, Australia, which is legitimate.
All the universities mentioned claim to be accredited, but none is recognised by the national accrediting body Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA) or its foreign accrediting partners.
The IIU was blacklisted by MQA(then known as National Accreditation Board) in July 2005.
A disturbing trend is that these dodgy institutions offer prominent personalities degrees so they can gain credibility with the “qualifications”.
This is the standard practice for many of these bogus universities, said a senior Irish academic attached to a local private university who declined to be named.
“These institutions go to another country, especially in the less developed and developing world, and offer local prominent personalities doctorates and other degrees. These are not honorary degrees but they don’t ask the VIPs for money either.
“They just invite the important people to put in a 1,500-word essay or write something about themselves, and they ‘award’ them their degrees.
“It becomes an endorsement of sorts — when the institutions get complaints from parents and students, they will simply point out the important people who have their degrees,” he explained, adding that it is prevalent because it is win-win for both parties.
“The institutions get the chance to be set up and the important people get their paper qualification.”
Republic of Ireland deputy ambassador to Malaysia Eoin Duggan highlighted another device for these universities to gain credibility.
They would invite VIPs, including politicians, to their convocations and sometimes confer on them honorary degrees.
“Their presence gives the ceremony importance. Having, say, a junior minister’s name on their list meanwhile would add credibility to the institution’s name,” he said.
For example, IIU’s previous honorary luminaries include a senator who is famous for championing minority rights, the president of one of Barisan Nasional’s component parties and the director of a local think tank.
Although most have wised up and dropped the dubious qualification from their resume, a few still list it in their academic credentials.
Education blogger Tony Pua believes that half of those holding bogus degrees knew that their “qualifications” were not bona fide.
“It lends credence to the university to have VIPs on their list. But if you can get a doctorate without doing any research, it is a fake one. It is impossible to get a credible doctorate via a long distance learning programme, especially if you are studying part-time,” said Pua, the Petaling Jaya Utara MP.
British Council Malaysia Education and Programmes Director Peter Clack agrees, pointing out that a degree is intended to reward academic excellence and requires hard work and commitment as that is what gives it its value with employers.
“If a degree course sounds too good to be true, then it is more than likely to be a bogus one,” he said.
Unfortunately, there is nothing much that authorities can do to stamp out this fraudulent practice.
Although the respective governments are aware of these dubious institutions, they have not been able to fully eliminate them as many are legitimately registered as business entities or exist mainly in the virtual world.
Many can only advise the public about the “bogus” institutions, like Ireland, which is distancing itself from the institutions claiming to be Irish.
However, these “bogus” bodies are experts in evading authorities; further checks revealed that IIU had changed its name to Isles International University. It has even maintained an international office in Petaling Jaya.
The degree mill issue has become such that the United Nations declared a war on this worldwide industry of fraudulent qualifications in June.
Calling it “an emerging academic corruption”, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) has issued a guideline for countries around the world to help eradicate these degree mills.
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