Education authorities ignore reports of scam university in Gzira

The Maltese higher education authorities continue to ignore dozens of complaints from foreign students who came to study in Malta at a so-called Ukrainian University based in Gzira only to discover that this could be a scam.

Speaking to The Shift, several students alleged that their various complaints to the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority—the government regulator that issued the licence to the International European University (IEU)—have gone unheeded, and no investigation has taken place.

“I have been scammed several thousands of euro by this fake university and reported the issue and all the fake courses they say they offer to MFHEA. I also spoke to senior officials and gave them evidence, but nothing has been done,” a frustrated Polish student told The Shift.

Others recounted how they found out that the courses they applied for either did not exist or did not have proper accreditation, meaning that they were paying thousands for a ‘degree’ which is not recognised anywhere.

“What is truly unbelievable is not the fake university but the way that the Maltese authorities are ignoring us and siding with the (alleged) scammers,” another student told The Shift.

“There must be some officials at the MFHEA who have some interest in the IEU remaining in Malta,” another student said.

The students claimed that while most of the staff at the IEU have already left the country, as they ended up not being paid, the same university is being investigated in Poland, where it also operates another campus.

Questions sent by The Shift to the MFHEA were ignored despite various reminders.

On the other hand, an IEU official claimed that she was aware of the “lies” being spread around by many students. However, she insisted that the university is licenced by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the country’s higher education regulator.

Ukraine is currently in the midst of an ongoing war.

Research by The Shift shows that the Gzira-based University was established in the Ukraine in 2019. It states that it offers several degree courses which aren’t recognised in the EU.

Since the war broke out in Ukraine, the IEU transferred its operations to Poland. However, the Polish government never recognised it and the public prosecutor of Poznan is reportedly investigating it due to complaints of a scam, among other accusations.

In 2023, the same university was issued a Maltese licence to transfer some of its courses to Malta temporarily. The licence was issued by the MFHEA.

Lawyer Edward Woods, Chairman of MFHEA.

So far, it is unclear how many students are studying at this university even though the IEU charges students €6,000 per year and thousands in additional costs such as accreditation fees and accommodation.

Earlier this year, despite a deluge of complaints and accusations against the so-called university, the Maltese authorities (MFHEA) led by government-appointed Chairman Edward Woods decided to renew the operating licence of the institution for another year.

In its renewal notice announcement, the MFHEA said the IEU must make “a financial and institutional audit” by January 2025 and warned that if it failed “its licence would be revoked.”

So far, Education Minister Clifton Grima, who was also informed about these serious claims, has not taken any action.

                           

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Paul Bonello
Paul Bonello
8 days ago

Yet another spineless authority without even the self respect to attempt to justify its acts and omissions. Or is it because you succumbed to superior orders?

Mark Brincat
Mark Brincat
5 days ago
Reply to  Paul Bonello

This article is sadly wrong on many levels. This is a Branch of a Kiev university here as a ‘refugee’ part of their university. They evacuated the non Ukrainans here. There is a students meeting going on at the Salina Bay Hotel at present
Why don’t you come Paul. Meet their teachers and students. Dutch Greek Italian etc. It is a shame that one side is put around. Usual agendas.

L.W-R
L.W-R
1 day ago
Reply to  Mark Brincat

Don’t even dare to challenge what we went through!! Don’t F… dare! IEU LOST HER LICENCE IN 2022 BECAUSE THEY LIED TO THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT! they give hope to hundreds of students who moved to Poznan, Poland to the campus. I am one of them! The campus was FAKE! And they advertised that they have 5 or 6 hospitals in poznan for us to take our clinical rotations but, they had only one countryside dispensary not an hospital, where we just stand there in a surgical room, to watch a surgeon performing a surgery! No one spoke English or very little. They are doing the same thing in Malta! And they wanted to charge students €6000 for a campus which Does not exist. I was there!
All their lecturers are from Odessa university and very good. But when they don’t have lecturers, they just add the modules as done in our transcripts!
Apparently and according to the current chat on a forum which I will not name here as the IEU put pressure on Reddit to remove all bad reviews, there are families who took the matter to the European Court.

So, Mr Brincat, whatever is your interest in that although, it is not hard to guess, don’t you dare to support their scam. A lot of families lost their savings to send their kids to study medicine! Besides, they are giving bad nme to Ukraine.
India, Nigeria, Pakistan and some Arabic countries have took the matter to their government and the IEU was blacklisted!
The PKA and the prosecutor of Posnan have closed the school! So no, it is not in our imagination! It’s real and you should be ashamed to bring such lies to protect your interest!

Y.M
Y.M
1 day ago
Reply to  Paul Bonello

I can attest that all these posts are completely genuine! I attended this uni too. It was convenient because of COVID and then the war to do our classes online, but then everything changed! Really caught up with us. When we had to do our clinical rotations, the IEU deserted ll their students. They didn’t help at all to fund us and secure us rotations in hospitals in Malta or Poland. I was in Poland too. The campus was illegally implanted, I can confirm what LW said in the post below. So, I don’t think anyone will have complain if there was no issue with this so called medical school. Just be honest here. We are not here to destroy anyone business, not at all. It is fair to bring the problem to light and warn people to not use this medical school. I have successfully transfer to another Polish school but I am not using their transcripts. I study hard and pass my entrance exams for a safe future.
Giving my experience, I do not recommend this medical university. They might be good in Marketing or Business, but the administration does not understand what a medical university is. Where they see business, we see safety. Be wise, study hard, and make it to a state university. Don’t waste your time and money. And yes, LW is right, all of the posts on Reddit who spoke the truth about this iEU were deleted. I wonder how big was the donation to hide the Truth.
Please, take our posts seriously. Let’s not ripe the parents off their money and students of their dreams. More of us should bring that to light.
Thank you

Ivan
Ivan
7 days ago

Thank you for this article and research,it will save alot of students from enrolling into the scam university,it’s painful to spend one’s money and time for fake certifications and degrees,who ever let’s them do this is heartless

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