MQA takes action against Avid College for illegally conducting courses in Sri Lanka

The Maldives Qualifications Authority (MQA) has taken disciplinary action against Avid College for illegally conducting accredited courses in Sri Lanka. 

According to a statement released by the MQA today, the college operated these programs in collaboration with Sri Lanka's "Amazon College" and an entity of unknown national origin called "Alzet University." 

The MQA discovered the violation when students, international qualification agencies, and Avid College itself submitted certificates from these programs for verification.

"...Furthermore, such matters may also lead to the weakening of the close friendly relations that exist between nations. Especially due to these illegal acts, there is concern that foreign students may suffer losses and become hesitant to come to Maldivian higher education and training centers, leading to questions about Maldivian educational standards, a loss of international credibility for certificates issued by Maldivian higher education institutions, and the possibility of those certificates not being recognized," the MQA statement said.

The authority further noted that it had explicitly informed all higher education centers via a letter in February last year that programs accredited for delivery in the Maldives cannot be conducted abroad without prior written permission from the MQA. By bypassing these regulations, the MQA warned that Maldivian qualifications risk losing their global credibility and acceptance.