Malta revokes sham ‘university’ licence after two years of ignoring complaints

Malta’s higher education regulator has finally decided to revoke the temporary licence for the operation of a Ukrainian University in Malta after wasting two years ignoring continuous complaints and serious claims of fraud, maladministration and scams.

In a short statement on its social media page, the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority announced the revocation of the operating licence given to the Gzira-based International European University (IEU) in 2023. It stated that the decision followed the results of an External Quality Assurance Audit conducted earlier this year.

No details about the audit failure by the IEU were provided, and it has not been published. Education Minister Clifton Grima, who is currently facing criticism due to the MCAST fraud scandal, failed to issue a public statement.

The IEU has been operating in Malta since 2023, having received a temporary licence from the MFHEA under the leadership of CEO Rose Anne Cuschieri.

Over the past two years, The Shift has reported numerous complaints from international students who claimed to have been scammed by the IEU. Despite these complaints, the MFHEA continued to overlook the issues until recently, when it finally acknowledged that something was amiss.

In 2024, despite an internal report highlighting significant concerns, the MFHEA decided to renew the operating licence of the IEU for another year, amid numerous allegations of misconduct. At that time, the MFHEA stated that it was allowing the IEU an additional year in Malta to address these issues and get its operations in order.

Despite ongoing complaints, students continued to express that they felt defrauded by the IEU. They accused the MFHEA and the Education Ministry of overlooking their grievances.

Several students shared their experiences with The Shift, stating that their complaints to the MFHEA went unanswered and that no investigations were conducted.

“I have been scammed out of several thousand euro by this fake university. I reported the issue, including the fraudulent courses they claim to offer, to the MFHEA and the Education Ministry. I even spoke with senior officials and provided them with evidence, but nothing has been done,” a frustrated Polish student said.

Others shared similar experiences, explaining that they discovered the courses they had applied for either did not exist or lacked proper accreditation. As a result, they ended up paying thousands for a ‘degree’ that is not recognised anywhere.

The IEU has consistently denied claims made against it, labelling them as “false” statements spread by various students. In the meantime, the MFHEA has never responded to inquiries from The Shift regarding these allegations.

Established in Ukraine in 2019, the IEU states that it offers several degree courses; however, these programmes are not recognised within the EU.

Following the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the IEU relocated its operations to Poland; however, the Polish government has not recognised the university. Furthermore, the public prosecutor in Poznan had initiated an investigation into the institution due to reports suggesting it may be involved in fraudulent activities similar to those recently reported in Malta.

In 2023, despite being under scrutiny, the IEU was granted a licence to operate in Gzira by the Maltese authorities.

The IEU administrators have 20 days to appeal the MFHEA’s decision.