Инженерный вестник: WALES: University of Wales 'let Wales down'

Wales' national university, the University of Wales, has let the country down, says Education Minister Leighton Andrews after a damning report.

Education Minister Leighton Andrews says the University of Wales has let down higher education in Wales and brought the nation "into disrepute".

His criticism comes after a watchdog's report told the university to review its worldwide college links.

BBC Wales found the links included one with a Malaysian pop star with bogus degrees and a college in Bangkok college said to be operating illegally.

The university says it is developing a new international strategy.

Prof Roger Brown, a higher education expert, said it was the "most damning" report on a university's overseas operations he had seen.

The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) delayed its publication of the university's institutional review - a six-year health check - while it conducted its investigations.

The institutional review was completed before BBC Wales' revelations were broadcast and reached judgments of 'confidence' in the university, although it did identify weaknesses in its external validation processes.

The university must now draw up an action plan to address the issues.

The QAA's investigation follows the BBC Wales probe into colleges in Malaysia and Thailand offering courses leading to the university's degrees.

Last November BBC Wales Week In Week Out found that a Malaysian college was run by Fazley Yaakob, a pop star with two bogus degrees, while another in Bangkok was operating illegally.

The QAA's report found the university had not run proper checks while setting up partnerships with the colleges in question - a process known as validation.

It said the university "missed the opportunity to be circumspect" about Mr Yaakob, who claimed to have a doctorate in business administration.

Full text of the article: BBC news

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