Dar dismisses report on dubious degree but confirms Schiller not accredited in UK

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar has contested the report about his dubious degree from American Schiller International University’s (SIU) London Campus but while making a number of contradictory statement didn’t deny that the SIU has ever been accredited or recognised in the United Kingdom.

After The News revealed on Tuesday that Britain’s Department of Education, the British Accreditation Council (BAC), The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) and Prospect UK has confirmed that the Schiller was never accredited to teach or issue degrees in the UK, Usman Dar didn’t deny the fact that the Schiller, while operating in the UK in 1997, didn’t have accreditation with the Department of Education.

Usman Dar claimed that he obtained his B.Com from Punjab University but his personal website http://www.usmandar.com/ mentions that he did his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Schiller International University.

Dar said that Schiller University was an American, not British varsity with its main campus in Florida. He added that according to university record he had obtained his MBA degree from the London campus in 1997. According to the PTI leader, Schiller University also had campuses in Germany, Spain, France and other countries.

The official website of Usman Dar says he “went to Germany and United Kingdom for Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Schiller International University, Heidelberg Campus and London Campus respectively.” However talking to The News, Dar said he did his B.Com from Punjab University and did not explain as to why he was falsely claiming BBA from Schiller University on his website.

Speaking to The News, Usman Dar said political opponents were carrying out propaganda against him.

The News standby its story that Schiller International University is not recognized by British Department of Education and even the US Department of Education does not recognize the agency which accredited this university.

The report mentioned that the body that accredited SIU in the United States namely the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) is notorious in America for accrediting Axact style institutions and visa mills.

It is worth noting that The News had carried detailed version of Dar in the original story. Usman Dar claimed incorrectly in a video statement that his version wasn’t carried in the original story but the fact is his full version was carried in the original story in which he had confirmed that he was aware of the fact that the degree he received in London from SIU was not valid in the UK and that the SIU was not accredited as a recognised educational body in the UK in 1997. Dar had said he did not obtain the degree for securing a job. “I only wanted to get some exposure as I run my own business and I don’t need any job. I completed two semesters in Germany and three in the United Kingdom”.