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IMTC told to shut down

DUBAI — The Iqra Management Training and Consultancy (IMTC) institution offering American University of Hawaii (AUH) programme in Dubai has been ordered to close down by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) at the Ministry of Education, and its licence to be revoked by the Dubai Economic Department.

The closure order was served last week to the six-year-old institution in Dubai for violating the Ministry of Education’s rules and providing academic programmes without Ministry licence. The institution was also among the list of 22 institutions banned by the Ministry of Higher Education two years ago for allegedly offering academic programmes not accredited by the CAA.

A source at CAA said: “The institution has violated the ministry’s accreditation and licensing conditions and continued to offer academic programmes of AUH, the US-based university which is not recognised or licensed by the State. Besides, AUH has been ordered by a court ruling to get out of the State and to refund the students’ fees, for lack of quality education standards maintained.”

The official disclosed that even the higher commission for education in India has warned its students from enrolling into the university. “So, it becomes our duty also to warn and protect our students who fall prey to such dubious institutions,” he pointed out.

Commenting on the institute’s recent proposal submitted to the CAA seeking eligibility status to operate as a higher education institution in the UAE, the official said that the commission does not entertain applications from violating institutions.

Defending the institution Dr SM Tahir, Chief Executive of IMTC, stated he was no longer offering academic programmes of AUH following the ban imposed two years ago.

“We are licensed by DED to provide training services. As a result we continue to offer short term training programmes in various fields such as management, IT, Computer, Personality Development among others, both to the students and working professionals,” he said.

He agreed that the AUH is accepting credits of the IMTC training programmes and accepting enrolment from students seeking higher education programmes at the university online.

According to Dr Tahir, closing down his institution is discriminatory. “While, many private institutions, even those banned by the Commission two years ago, still continue to offer academic programmes of foreign universities because of strong sponsors, or, are located in the Knowledge Village- then why should I be reprimanded,” questioned Dr Tahir.

He believes his institution is offering the noble service of providing education opportunities to expatriate students from low and middle income groups in the UAE. “Since, a majority of expatriate families cannot send their children back home or to expensive institutions in the UAE for higher education, it is institutions such as Iqra and others that provide education opportunity at low fees,” he said, adding: “And, if I had to seek accreditation eligibility status from the ministry which involves big money, small-sized private institutions would be compelled to raise their tuition fees making education beyond the reach of many expatriate students,” he disclosed.

Tahir admits that quality of education and programme standards should be maintained by a local controlling body. But, the CAA, instead of guiding institutions like ours to improve standards and quality of faculty and programmes, has ordered closure.

“Considering the present socio-economic conditions in the UAE, it is not appropriate to leave students without affordable education institutions. Besides, the local authority should not levy US standards and benchmarks for quality education institutions and accreditation policy,” Dr Tahir said, hoping the Ministry of Education officials rather made things simple, than complicate education issues.