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President Dr. Mohamed
Muizzu has ratified the First Amendment to the Maldives Higher Education and
Training Act (Act No. 7/2021), which allows for the lowered criteria for
colleges to achieve university status.
Specifically, colleges
that have been operating for 15 years can now seek this designation. This
amendment, recently passed by the People’s Majlis, aims to enhance access to
higher education in the Maldives and to support institutions capable of
providing university-level education.
As a result of this change, an institution that wishes to be
registered as a university in the Maldives is now required to fulfill one of
the following conditions:
- It must have been functioning as a local college in the Maldives without interruption for 15 years.
- It must have been operating as a university in another country for a minimum of 10 years
For a registered higher education college in the Maldives to be converted
into a university, it must also fulfill the following conditions:
- Program Offerings: Offer at least three programs at the Maldives National Qualifications Framework (MNQF) Level 7 (Degree) and Level 9 (PhD), which can be the college's own programs or programs offered in affiliation with a foreign university.
- Student Enrollment: Maintain a minimum enrollment of 1,000 students in courses at MNQF Level 7 and above.
- International Recognition: Be rated or ranked in an international university rating or ranking system.
- International Membership: Have been a member of both an international association for universities and an international quality assurance organization for a minimum of five years.
- Research Experience: Demonstrate experience in conducting international-level research in collaboration with foreign universities and organizations.
- Academic Staff Qualifications: Ensure that at least 10 percent of the academic staff teaching in its programs hold Doctoral (PhD) qualifications.
- Infrastructure: Possess adequate facilities and resources that meet the standards set by the Ministry for operating a university.
The bill also mandates that the relevant regulations pertaining to this
amendment must be drafted within a maximum of two months from the date the bill
becomes law.
The President's Office confirmed that the amendment takes effect starting
from today.
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