Many African students looking to go to a college outside their countries are being aggressively recruited by schools in the Turkish-occupied area of Cyprus on the island divided since a Turkish occupation of 1974.
University World News reported that the students are increasingly choosing schools in the area after being lured with advertisements and without knowing the schools have no certification from Cyprus. Turkey occupies the northern third of the island unlawfully and created a government only it recognizes.
The schools, including Cyprus International University and Eastern Mediterranean University, are offering the students low tuition fees and saying they offer high-quality education.
However, the universities are not authorized by the Greek Republic of Cyprus, which is recognized by the United Nations, presenting a potential problem for students looking for work when they graduate.
In Kenya in particular, Cyprus International University (CIU) has been advertising in the local press in a bid to attract students. The move has forced the Cypriot Embassy in Nairobi to advise students and parents against registering the institution, warning them that the university is not authorized by the Cypriot Ministry of Education.
“We are sending out a warning that the Cyprus International University is not accredited or recognized by the ministry of education and culture in the Republic of Cyprus,” said Agis Loizou, the Cyprus high commissioner to Kenya, in a media statement.
“The CIU is in the illegal entity of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), and therefore is not a legally operating university that can issue degrees to students.”
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