Muscat: The Ministry of Higher Education in Oman has blacklisted 15 overseas universities, warning students who join them that their qualifications will not be accredited.
The list includes 12 fake universities which claim to be based in America but have no physical campuses. They use only websites to lure students into enrolling online and paying fees.
The bogus universities are Rochville University, Ashley University, American Mideast University, Newport University, Walesbridge University, Panworld University, Barrington University, Gibson University, Adam Smith University, Washington International University, the American University of Professional Studies and Riverwood University.
The ministry has also blacklisted Herriot Watt University campus in Dubai – a branch which is not accredited by the Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates.
Qualifications issued from Canterbury University in the United Kingdom will not be approved, as this too is a fake university that has a website, but no physical campus.
However, academic degrees issued to graduates from South Korean Pukyong National University and Kyungpook National University will be accredited in Oman.