"It does not seem that the
bilateral agreement between Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina
that was supposed to implement (according to Art. 9) the
cooperation between the two countries, set forth by law on
February 10, 2015, has ever included, "a deal that in particular
was supposed to establish "the recognition of university degrees
by direct equivalence."
The Italian Ministry of University and Research clarified
when asked by ANSA about the case of "ghost degrees" from the
Jean Monnet Department of European Studies, which Italy's
Guardia di Finanza is investigating by order of the Palermo
Public Prosecutor's Office.
Professor Salvatore Messina, the department's rector, his son
Dario, and Salvatore Culotta, a citizen of Marsala, have been
recorded in the " record of suspects" for fraud, money
laundering, self-laundering, and tax offenses. Dozens of
students hold bogus degrees.
The department leveraged the agreement between Italy and
Bosnia to persuade students to enroll in courses with tuition
fees of up to 20,000 euros per year, as seen in the brochures
and information materials distributed. From this clarification
by the MUR, it emerges that the information given by the Jean
Monnet Department was false.
Regarding a possible authorization request, the ministry
reiterates that "there is no record of any application by the
Jean Monnet Department, as far as we are concerned, regarding
the accreditation of a new university institution." Then, it
specifies, "In November 2022, an application was received from
the University of Gorazde for accreditation of a foreign
institution in Italy, under DM (Minister's Decree, ed.)
214/2004."
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