EI strongly supports the alerts issued recently by both the Council of Europe and UNESCO about bogus Higher Education institutions using their names as marks of accreditation.
The Council of Europe has warned against the current trend of a number of higher education providers which claim to be recognised by the Council of Europe, making it clear that the Council of Europe “ does not recognise or in any other way bestow legitimacy on any higher education institution, programme or provision”.
UNESCO has similarly issued an alert against the use of its own name for accreditation of bogus institutions.
The Council of Europe and UNESCO are organisations of an intergovernmental character that focus much of their work on education, yet they do not have the competence to accredit or recognise higher education institutions, any type of provision, or accrediting agencies.
The issue of bogus institutions is a matter of great concern internationally at the level of higher education provision, as it poses a considerable threat to potential students and to quality assurance in higher education. The Council of Europe and UNESCO alerts give advice on how it is possible to identify these bogus higher education institutions using their name.
EI has made its contribution to this issue, together with the international higher education community in terms of the drafting of the UNESCO/OECD Guidelines for Quality Provision in Cross-Border Higher Education which aim to enhance quality in the provision of higher education across borders and protect against bogus institutions and rogue providers.
For more information on EI’s contribution to this issue, please refer to EI's higher education and research web section: www.ei-ie.org/highereducation.