Spotlight on low-quality universities: Lebanon's Higher Education Council takes action

In a move to address the long-standing concerns about certain universities in Lebanon, a high-level meeting of the Higher Education Council is scheduled to take place on Monday.

The meeting aims to thoroughly investigate the files of several universities that have been flagged for non-compliance with academic standards and regulations.

More than seven universities, often called low-quality educational institutions, are under the spotlight due to their alleged violations.

Furthermore, these small institutions are not among the well-known and reputable universities in the country and have been controversial for their practices.

However, among the reported violations are serious breaches of educational protocols, including:

Exceeding allowed student enrollment

Some of these universities have enrolled a higher number of students than the permitted capacity, potentially compromising the quality of education provided.

Enrolling students in Master's programs without equivalency of their Bachelor's Degrees

It has come to light that certain universities have admitted students into Master's programs without verifying the equivalency of their Bachelor's degrees, raising concerns about academic integrity.

Initiating teaching programs without proper authorization

Some of these institutions have reportedly started offering academic programs without obtaining the necessary licenses and accreditations, which might compromise the degree's value.

Non-compliance with the required percentage of professors holding doctoral degree

Concerns have been raised about these universities not ensuring that professors teaching Master's programs hold doctoral degrees and meet the required academic qualifications.

The Higher Education Council, during its meeting on Monday, will deliberate on the appropriate actions to be taken against these universities. The decisions reached in the meeting will be submitted to the Minister of Education for final approval.

The Council is committed to protecting the students' interests and ensuring they receive education of the required academic standards. The measures to be implemented against the universities will focus on safeguarding the quality of teaching and holding institutions accountable for any violations.