Manama: Kuwaiti nationals who graduated from universities that failed to meet Kuwaiti education standards will have to sit for an assessment test as a first step to have their degrees recognised, the education minister has said.
Successful students will be allowed to go through a special programme to ensure their qualification and have their degrees endorsed by the ministry.
A special academic accreditation committee has been formed to oversee the new measures and draw up a list of the overseas universities to be endorsed by the Kuwaiti education ministry, said Moudhi Al Humood. The list will be announced in June.
The decision seeks to block moves by Kuwaiti lawmakers to force Al Humood to change her stance on rejecting degrees from universities that failed to achieve the standards required by the education ministry.
Kuwait has been rocked by scandals about bogus and "easy" degrees awarded by universities in several countries in the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe.
Some students obtained their Masters' degree in less than three months, while others received their academic credentials months before sitting for the exams or without taking the required courses.
Al Humood's decision to tackle the fraud and to stop endorsing suspicious degrees has triggered a standoff with lawmakers who sought to defend the students.
However, MP Aseel Al Awadhi, one of the four women in the parliament, said that Al Humood would not reverse her position on the "suspicious" degrees.
"The minister has told the education committee that she would remain firm on the position and that the ministry was dealing seriously with the bogus degrees as well as with the fake high school diplomas," Al Awadhi said. "She is keen on a totally clean system for all non-Kuwaiti degrees at all levels."
