Agency dismissing Haradinaj found 48 cases of false professor's statement three days ago

Three days before Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj sought the dismissal of the Kosovo Agency for Accreditation, the State Council of Quality that operates in its context, had found 48 cases of the professor's false statement in order to discredit university programmes in the country.

Despite this, Prime Minister Haradinaj has requested from Education Minister Shyqri Bytyqi on Monday, that immediately download the AKA's board and including the task fraud that the director with the conclusions that “the process of accreditation has so far developed with serious irregularities, becoming the frequent object of public discussion”.

“The AKA has confirmed that 48 people have submitted false statements to the AKA for the purposes of accrediting the study programmes, and this presents serious violations of the legal provisions in effect in the Republic of Kosovo. Moreover, this false statement constitutes serious violations of the Administrative Guide for IAL Accreditation in Kosovo, since ANK has thus made accreditation of study programs based on evidence and false information”, said an AKA report of September 22, 2017.

This is the full announcement:

WHO SUNDAY OF CHICE (KSHC) I COSOVA AGENCY FOR AKREDITION (AKA) MARY MEETING 53 - OF (22.09.2017)

The State Quality Council (KSHC) of the Kosovo Agency for Discension (AKA), today with the date of 22.09.2017, has held the 53rd meeting. Various points of the agenda, including, were discussed at this meeting: The new accreditation manual, reviewing and reviewing academic staff lists for only accredited programmes of public and private higher education institutions, addressing requirements for reevaluating the KSHC's decisions regarding KSHC-sponsored programmes in the July meeting, and addressing other requirements from the IAL.

Verification of the engagement of foreign academic staff with academic degrees Dr. Science ( PhD, who have been declared regular staff (Ful Time) in the IALs in the Republic of Kosovo.

Based on the authorisation of the KSHC for additional verification of academic staff who are not citizens of the Republic of Kosovo and who are declared as regular staff in Kosovo, regarding their true engagement in Kosovo, KAH has made necessary verifications and presented evidence regarding the process at this meeting. Initially, academic staff in the case of declaring their commitment to IALs in Kosovo are obliged to submit a declaration under oath, through which they authorise the AKA to make verification of data presented in their statements.

So far, AKA has identified 82 people, foreign nationals, with academic degrees Dr. Shecce ( PhD, who are presented in Kosovo as regular academic staff, have regular working relations even in their countries of origin, even though the same have earlier brought testimony to their non-announcement in working relations in their countries of origin.

The AKA has contacted institutions identified in the states of origin for foreign citizens by addressing the request for information if the same staff is engaged at the same time in their institutions as regular staff. Until this stage, ALOK in the request for information concerning the engagement of this academic staff, has received answers to 65 people, and is waiting for an answer to 17 more people. From the official answers the AKA has accepted, it turns out that 48 persons submitted as regular academic staff at the IAL in the Republic of Kosovo at the same time have regular working relations even in their countries of origin outside Kosovo. Of these 35 persons are engaged in higher education institutions or other institutions in the Republic of Macedonia and 13 of them in the Republic of Albania. For 17 it has been confirmed that they have no regular commitment to their countries of origin.

The AKA has confirmed that 48 people have submitted false statements to the AKA for the purposes of accrediting the study programmes, and this presents serious violations of the legal provisions in effect in the Republic of Kosovo. Moreover, this false statement constitutes serious violations of the Administrative Guide for IAL Accreditation in Kosovo, since IT has done so to discredit study programs based on evidence and false information.

AKA has announced The IALs, which have been affected by the delivery of common statements by their academic staff of foreign citizenship and have given additional deadlines for removing these people from academic staff lists. However, for IALs who haven't managed to make the necessary replacements under AKA's request, The KSHC has decided to withdraw accreditation of 5 programmes of research in three institutions of higher education. This decision is made based on Article 21, Administrative Guide for IAL Access to Kosovo, which stipulates that “The AKA guarantees the right to withdraw IAL accreditation that provides false testimony and information at the time of accredition”. The withdrawal of accreditation of research programmes means that the IALs are obliged to start the process of accrediting study programmes and have no right to register new students in this academic year. Students enrolled in these research programmes in previous academic years, now more attractive, will continue with their studies in line with the institution's statute and legal provisions in force.

The AKA reports that it has accomplished this process in full transparency with all parties involved in the process, with IALs in Kosovo respectively, academic staff and relevant institutions in neighbouring states and other countries. The AKA expresses deep concern about the situation of academic staff in Kosovo, remembering that the role of academic staff is central to educating young people not only for academic aspects, but also for individual values, their intellectual development and shaping them as responsible citizens. The AKA considers that the security and promotion of quality in higher education is achieved if all the actors involved in this process are correct, testify to academic integrity and are analysed in achieving social values which are the duty of every institution of higher education.

To see the list of programs that were withdrawn from the KSHC, please click here.

The AKA reports to the public that it has already accepted new staff documentation with foreign citizenship (28 new files) and is in the process of their verification. The AKA is in the process of verifying and, in case of confirmation, will present the evidence at the next KSHC meeting. By that time, the KSHC will not accept any new academic staff with foreign citizenship as regular, respectively, keepers of research programmes in any of the IALs in Kosovo.

In dealing with requirements for reviewing KC decisions for suspending study programmes, K The AKA has reviewed all requirements for reviewing the decisions for suspension of IAL-submitted research programmes, along with supplementary documentation concerning the involvement of academic staff. On the basis of supplementary requests and documentation submitted by the IALs, the KSHC has decided to lift the suspension measure for 21 research programmes.

As to the involvement of the academic staff for programmes but accredited by public and private institutions of higher education, K The AKA's SHC has also analysed the state of academic staff of each higher education institution. The AKA has again observed academic staff movements and, as a result, has found that some programmes have failed to bear the required criteria for academic staff, according to the US for Accreditation. Consequently, this time again in the absence of meeting criteria under current K legislation The AKA has decided to suspend the accreditation of 4 programmes. So the total number of suspended programmes so far is 92.

To see all KC's decisions on suspending accreditation of research programmes that lack academic staff under legislation, please click here.

The AKA again announces to the public that the suspension of these study programmes means that these institutions will not have the right to register new students for next year's 2017/18 academic year, until another decision by the AKA. Students enrolled in these research programmes in previous academic years, now more suspended, will continue with their studies in line with the institution's statute and legal provisions in force.

The AKA also announces to the public that under the Law on General Administrative Procedure, against these decisions, any disgruntled party can file a complaint according to Article 131 of the Law on General Administrative Procedure No. 05 L-31. The IAL-accepted polls will be reviewed under the legal deadline and, in the event of meeting the SAA required criteria, the KSHC will reconsider its decisions.

Finally, with the aim of facilitating the approach of students, parents and public opinion, in information about institutions of higher education and research programmes that have valid accreditation and can register new students in the 2017/18 academic year, AKA has currentized the list that includes all currency research programs.