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According to university leaders, the perceived failure of the authorities to take action against Karachi-based Axact over its alleged role in a global fake degree scandal is behind the growth in bogus institutions.
"The trend of selling bogus degrees is rising due to government's inaction against Axact,” Tahir Amin, vice-chancellor of Bahauddin Zakariya University in Multan, told University World News. “The investigation agencies raided Axact's offices but there was no crackdown against many such firms involved in selling fake degrees and diplomas."
He said: "The people involved in this business are playing with the future of our generations and damaging the credibility of our higher education system. People behind bogus universities must be booked and penalised," Tahir said.
According to Higher Education Commission or HEC data, of the illegal universities or degree-awarding institutions operating in Pakistan, 100 were in Punjab province, 36 in Sindh, 11 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, four in the federal capital Islamabad and two in Pakistan's part of Kashmir.
Many fooled
Vice-chancellor of Lahore's University of the Punjab, Zaffar Mueen Nasar, said: "Some aspiring graduates knowingly and wilfully obtain fake degrees from such universities and the rest are fooled by fascinating names. In both cases, it is the responsibility of the government to take stern action against practitioners of this wicked business as only punitive action can help stop this practice."
The latest HEC list of illegal or fake universities published in January contains some alluring names for aspiring graduates who wish to acquire international certifications. Among many other un-accredited, fake or illegal universities existing in all four provinces some bogus names include ‘Mishigan International College’, ‘American International College’, ‘American University of London’, ‘American International University’, ‘UK College of Information Technology’ and ‘American World University International.’
A large number of illegal universities mentioned in the HEC notice do not exist, some are run from apartments and commercial buildings and issue degrees not recognised by higher education authorities of the federal or provincial governments.
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Source: University World News
