Isles International University

The Isles International University/Université (IIU), formerly known as Irish International University and European Business School, is an unaccredited university operating currently in Ireland.[1][2][3][4]

In April 2018, The Irish Times described the organisation as a "bogus university" that "targets overseas students with the promise of earning an Irish university qualification online that holds 'international recognition'".[5] It was described as "An international education scam" by the BBC in an investigation in 2008.[6]

Founded in 1996, the IIU has no campus of its own in Ireland but works with unspecified partner institutions abroad. When talking about the IIU to a BBC reporter, its "honorary chancellor," Jeff Wooller, said in 2007 after he was terminated that: "The whole thing's dodgy."[7] According to its website the IIU is still in operation although, in response to the report shown on the BBC, it has removed some material in 2008.[8]

The IIU is run by an "executive president," who has been described by Malaysian news media as "a Malaysian businessman" and by Verifile and Accredibase as a "Malaysian professor".[3][7][9] IIU, according to Wooller is not set up by him.[8]

History

The Oregon Office of Degree Authorization says of the Irish International University that it is located in Malaysia and Switzerland and that:

The Irish government has requested that Malaysia close this entity on grounds that it is neither Irish nor a university. It has obtained a business license in a Swiss canton, but is not a Swiss university.[4]

Irish International University (or Irish International University of Europa[10]) was renamed Isles International University.[9] In 2011, iiuedu.ie, the top page of the Irish International University (with an Irish top-level domain) said at its foot "Isles Internationale Universite [sic]"[11] and had a link labeled "Enter Website" that pointed to the website of Isles International University (iiuedu.ac, with an Ascension Island top-level domain), which said at its foot "Isles Internationale Universite [sic] (European Union) Limited";[12] in early 2012, it no longer redirected elsewhere.

The Office of Degree Authorization of Oregon says of the Isles International University that it is located in St Kitts and Malaysia.[4]

In the news

It was reported in the press on 7 January 2008 that businesswoman Mary Chapman, chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), had been hoodwinked into attending and handing out certificates at a degree ceremony.[13] Chapman agreed to be guest of honour at the ceremony held at the Divinity School at the University of Oxford. Pictures of her in attendance, which were posted on the university's website, have now been removed. The ceremony was also attended by an undercover reporter and actor from the BBC.[14] The CMI "severed all links" to the IIU and that the University of Oxford banned the IIU from using its premises again.[13] A Malaysian, described by the Sunday Star as a "prominent public figure" and "leading academic", who had received an honorary degree from Irish International University in 2001 was surprised to be told (in 2009) that the university was considered to be a scam. He told a newspaper reporter that he had attended a graduation ceremony at the University of London and that the school seemed "very credible".[15]

A BBC London News investigation by reporter Angela Saini discovered that at its advertised Dublin campus address there was only a mailbox. The investigation also found that the IIU was accredited by "Quality Assurance Commission UK Limited", owned by the IIU's executive president and nothing more than a mailbox and a small website.[14]

In 2009, it was listed as a diploma mill by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.[16]

Isles Internationale Universite in Ireland

Isles Internationale Universite in Malaysia (IIUM), also called Isles International University in Malaysia, describes itself as "a non profit making international organisation dedicated to cross-cultural experience with a global perspective in leadership & enterpreneurialship" [sic].[17] The IIUM website mentions the Accreditation Syndicate for Education and Training (ASET), whose sole address in Malaysia is identical to that of IIUM.[18]

European Business School Cambridge

The European Business School Cambridge, or European Business School (Cambridge), is an offshoot of IIU.[19][20]

See also

References
  1. Hock, Teh Eng; Chapman, Karen; Cheah, Royce; Azizan, Hariati; Bedi, Rashvinjeet S. (23 August 2009), "Got money, got degree", The Star, Malaysia (Archived by WebCite at https://www.webcitation.org/65xp9961p%5B%5D)
  2. "Varsity: We're no degree mill". The Malay Mail. 10 September 2009. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Archived by the Wayback Machine on 22 June 2011.
  3. Eyal Ben Cohen and Rachel Winch, "Diploma and Accreditation Mills: New Trends in Credential Abuse Archived 2011-10-02 at the Wayback Machine". Verifile Limited and Accredibase. March 2011. Page 20.
  4. "Unauthorized Schools and Invalid Degrees Archived 2013-07-19 at the Wayback Machine", Oregon Student Assistance Commission, Office of Degree Authorization. Accessed 28 March 2013.
  5. Power, Jack (30 April 2018). "Bogus university 'degree mill' targeting foreign students". The Irish Times. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  6. Morris, Nigel (7 January 2008). "Bogus university scam uncovered". BBC News. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  7. Nigel Morris, "Investigating the bogus education scam". BBC. 7 January 2008.
  8. Damian Wild, "Jeff Wooller's response", Accountancy Matters, a blog from Accountancy Age January 2008. Archived by the Wayback Machine on 31 July 2008.
  9. Teh Eng Hock, et al., "Got money, got degree", The Star (Malaysia), 23 August 2009. Accessed 24 July 2011.
  10. top page (at tripod.com), Irish International University of Europa. Archived by the Wayback Machine on 7 February 2005.
  11. Copy archived at WebCite on 5 July 2011.
  12. Copy archived at WebCite.
  13. Kennedy, Dominic (7 January 2008). "Bogus university duped top businesswoman into handing out its degrees". The Times. London.
  14. Saini, Angela (8 January 2008). "A degree of deception". The Guardian. London.
  15. "Duped by rogue college", The Sunday Star (Malaysia), 23 August 2009. Accessed 2010-07-08.
  16. Ezell, Allen (2009), "Recent developments with degree mills" (PDF), College & University Journal (Vol85 No 2): 40, archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-13, retrieved 2012-01-31
  17. iiedu.org, accessed 24 July 2011.
  18. ASET contact page Archived 2012-03-28 at the Wayback Machine, aset.com.my; IIUM contact page Archived 2012-03-28 at the Wayback Machine, iiuedu.org. Both accessed 24 July 2011.
  19. "Concern at University of Wales overseas degrees", BBC News, 9 November 2010. Accessed 24 July 2011.
  20. Isabel Shapiro, "Fake 'Oxbridge educations' for sale over the internet," Varsity, 18 January 2008. (PDF) Accessed 24 July 2011.
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