From the competent authorities, through the inspection to the judiciary. The responsibility for problems in higher education in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), which have escalated with arrests for university degrees fraud is being passed.
In an operation codenamed “Cluster” (”Klaster”), on February 21st, 11 suspects were arrested in BiH for university degrees fraud.
These are rectors, deans and professors at several private universities in BiH. The State Prosecutor’s Office accuses them of having profited in the amount of about 600,000 BAM (about 300,000 euros) by selling the degrees.
Enes Hasic, director of the State Agency for the Development of Higher Education and Quality Assurance, believes that this action is a signal to the authorities to “address” the necessary reforms in the higher education sector.
“It’s not good that this is happening, but it’s good that it was discovered. Now everyone is passing the responsibility from one to the other. Unfortunately, higher education is organized in such a way that we have 12 ‘mini-states,'” he told.
Degrees at gas stations”
During the “Cluster” police operations, premises were searched and documents from several private universities were confiscated.
The State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) announced that the action was carried out in the area of BanjaLuka, Bijeljina, Istocno Sarajevo, Prijedor, Kozarska Dubica, Brcko, Travnik, and Mostar.
Namely, the investigation into the “Cluster” operation lasted two years, and the chief prosecutor of BiH, Milanko Kajganic, declared after its completion that “a university degree can be bought at a gas station.”
Affairs over degrees
The action code-named “Cluster”, directed against those suspected of degrees fraud, is not the only one that uncovered scandals in the field of education in BiH.
The Senate of the University of Sarajevo should soon express its opinion on the proposal of the commission, which it formed with the task of examining the validity of the degree of Sebija Izetbegovic, the director of the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo (KCUS) and a member of the Democratic Action Party (SDA).
