Collegium Humanum – Warsaw Management University Explained

University of Business and Applied Sciences ‘Varsovia’
Native Name:Uczelnia Biznesu i Nauk Stosowanych “Varsovia”
Native Name Lang:pl
Other Name:Collegium Humanum
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Motto:Polish: Edukacja dla sukcesu
Motto Lang:pl
Mottoeng:Education for Success
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Rector:Magdalena Stryja
Students:25,211[1] (12.2023)
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Country:Poland
Zipcode:or
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Coordinates:52.235°N 21.0124°W
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Athletics Nickname:-->
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Collegium Humanum (C.H.) – Warsaw Management University is an international, private university with its seat in Warsaw and branches in Rzeszów, Poznań, the Czech Republic (Prague, Frýdek-Místek), Slovakia (Bratislava) and Uzbekistan (Andijan). As of March 2024, Collegium Humanum is under compulsory governmental administration due to various academic fraud and corruption charges, chiefly selling MBA titles. In June, C.H. changed its name to University of Business and Applied Sciences ‘Varsovia’.[2]

History

The university was established in 2018 by decision of the Minister of Science and Higher Education at the request of the Institute of International Studies and Education Humanum Sp. z o.o. (operating since 2011, mostly as a publisher) with its seat in Warsaw and was then entered into the Register of Private Universities under number 383.[3] [4]

Collegium Humanum (C.H.) is a member of the Business Graduates Association.[5]

In 2020, Collegium Humanum received the "Pro Masovia" Commemorative Medal for its particular contribution to the economic, social and cultural development of the wider Mazovia Region.[6]

Since 2020, Collegium Humanum has been a signatory to PRME (the Principles for Responsible Management Education),[7] [8] an international forum of leading business universities from around the world operating under the auspices of the United Nations, whose aims are to shape global attitudes of social responsibility among future leaders across business, politics and other dimensions of public life.

Postgraduate studies of Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) taught at Collegium Humanum have secured a Professional Class ranking in the MBA Programme Rating prepared by the MBA SEM Forum 2020.[9] [10]

Since 2020, Collegium Humanum has been also a member of CEEMAN, the International Association for Management Development in Dynamic Societies.[11] [12]

Since November 2021, C.H. had been certified partner of the Erasmus+ programme.[13] In the academic year 2022/23, C.H. had approximately 35.000 students.[14]

In 2023, the university received a positive assessment from the Polish Accreditation Committee (PKA) for its psychology program.[15] [16] Various C.H. studies were denied registration (Meldung) by Austrian authorities already before the MBA title scandal.[17] In March 2024, a former PKA director was arrested for corruption. He had granted favourable reviews for studies at C.H., while receiving almost 500,000 Złoty and securing jobs for his wife and a sister from C.H.[18] [19]

On 29 February 2024, Prof. Ilona Makowska was appointed as the new provost.[20] She was said to calm down uproar among students amidst severely hampered educational activities. Most proceedings require consent of a governmental caretaker now.[21] Makowska stepped down in April and was succeeded by Paweł Poszytek.[22] In October, Magdalena Stryja, a former protector responsible for changing the name of C.H. to "Varsovia", succeed Poszytek.[23]

As of mid-March 2024, collegium Humanum is under compulsory administration by the authorities[24] and, from summer on, not allowed to issue certificates and degrees. This fact aggrevates the situation of the remaining students, barring them from access to other universities. Otherwise, they lose their study progress, yet many left C.H. and started anew.[25]

Fraud charges and investigations since 2022

In 2022, the Polish Newsweek started to publish reports on Collegium Humanum functioning as a degree mill.[26] The C.H. sued the magazine multiple times,[27] [28] prompting Newsweek to seek redress.[29]

While first investigations started in late 2022,[30] large scale prosecution by CBA took place in February 2024, with seven management cadres, among them provost Paweł Czarnecki, being arrested as a suspect criminal association. Czarnecki was released in mid November. In the meantime, more officials involved in C.H. and/or other suspect organizations had been arrested. Among these are three rectors of private universities,[31] accreditation agency cadres, former C.H. and other university staff and board members of several public companies, such as airports.[32] The former provost faces, as of late autumn 2024, approximately 100 charges,[33] among them sexual harassment of employees.[34] His alleged uncle Ryszard Czarnecki and his wife are inquired for furthering the machinations of C.H. within various Polish departments for material gains.[35]

Among the graduates of C.H. are hundreds of public servants and politicians, many of them being aligned to the PiS party, which ruled Poland until late 2023 and the PO party, which has been part of the governing coalition since December 2023. Due to a legal change in 2017, candidates for board membership in public sector companies had to come up with a MBA, in many cases issued by the newly established C.H within just a few month period of enrollment and for a fraction of the usual cost.[36] [37] [38] [39]

In 2018, accreditation rules for postgraduate studies had been eased significantly, doing away with the compulsory review process.[40] In late March 2024, the council for public companies ruled that C.H. MBA titles are no longer perceived as a form of qualification.[41]

The Ministry for Higher Education is working on an examination process, with false degrees being annulled. A clause is effective whereby mere clients of C.H. won't face charges.[42] [43] In Wrocław and Poznań, key figures within the PO party dominated city authorities hold C.H. degrees, such as Jacek Sutryk.[44] [45]

Collegium Humanum is reported to have functioned in an international network of private educational institutions of dubious repute,[46] [47] while maintaining branches in Austria[48] as well as in Post-communist countries, among them Czechia, Slovakia[49] and Uzbekistan.[50]

The university awarded numerous distinctions to well-known figures in show business such as the singer Doda and Irena Santor as a marketing scheme. Additionally, the university honored politician Tomasz Misiak, who is known for his involvement in numerous scandals[51] and is facing criminal charges[52] [53] in Wrocław, with a Medal of Success. Misiak was actively involved in the university's life and remained associated with the institution by giving lectures, interviews, and speeches on its behalf.[54] [55] [56]

Among international media, the British Spectator came up with an early comment on the issues concerning the C.H. scandal:

"The example of Collegium Humanum looks extreme in its naked opportunism, but it would seem to point to a broader problem of over-reliance on credentials as a proxy for skill, and the blurring of the lines between academic accreditation (useful as that can be) and business acumen. Only the truly skilled will be able to find a way out of this crisis."[57]

Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes

Headquarters in Warsaw

Branch in Poznań

Branch in Rzeszów

Branch in Prague (the Czech Republic)

Branch in Frýdek-Místek (the Czech Republic)

Branch in Bratislava (Slovakia)

Branch in Andijan (Uzbekistan)

Postgraduate studies

Publishing

The university publishes the following scientific journals:

Honorary professors of Collegium Humanum

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Higher education in the 2023/24 academic year . pl . 29 June 2024 . Statistics Poland .
  2. Web site: 24 June 2024 . Collegium Humanum zmienia nazwę. Podano powód . 2 July 2024 . Business Insider Polska . pl.
  3. Web site: Minister of Science and Higher Education . Decyzja o pozwoleniu na utworzenie uczelni . pl.
  4. Web site: Minister of Science and Higher Education . Decyzja o zmianie nazwy uczelni . pl.
  5. Web site: Collegium Humanum – Warsaw Management University . Business Graduates Administration.
  6. Web site: Collegium Humanum awarded the "Pro Masovia" Medal, while Provost gets distinguished by the Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodship . Collegium Humanum. 4 November 2020 .
  7. Web site: Collegium Humanum, Warsaw Management University . PRME.
  8. Web site: Collegium Humanum becomes a signatory to PRME . Collegium Humanum. December 2020 .
  9. Web site: Wyniki Ratingu Programów MBA SEM FORUM 2020 . SEM FORUM . pl . 14 December 2020 . 14 February 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210214005128/http://www.semforum.org.pl/media/tms/semforum/pages/page47/5fce4ec5d480ctestpw.pdf . dead .
  10. Web site: Rating MBA 2020 . MBAportal.pl . pl.
  11. Web site: Warm welcome to new CEEMAN member Collegium Humanum – Warsaw Management University! . CEEMAN.
  12. Web site: Collegium Humanum becomes a member of a prestigious CEEMAN association . Collegium Humanum. 9 December 2020 .
  13. Web site: webadmin . 11 January 2022 . Karta ECHE Programu Erasmus+ dla Uczelnia Biznesu i Nauk Stosowanych "Varsovia" . 9 September 2024 . Uczelnia Biznesu i Nauk Stosowanych „Varsovia” . pl-PL.
  14. https://stat.gov.pl/download/gfx/portalinformacyjny/pl/defaultaktualnosci/5488/8/9/1/szkolnictwo_wyzsze_w_roku_akademickim_2022-2023_-_wyniki_wstepne._dane.xlsx
  15. Web site: PKA report on psychology program - Collegium Humanum SGM Warsaw . 10 September 2023 . PKA.
  16. Web site: PKA quality evaluation presentation . 10 September 2023 . PKA .
  17. Web site: RIS - Agentur für Qualitätssicherung und Akkreditierung Austria akademischer Grad ausländisches Studium... W227 2236947-1 - Bundesverwaltungsgericht (BVwG) . 6 March 2024 . www.ris.bka.gv.at.
  18. Web site: Afera Collegium Humanum. Dyrektor i jego żona mieli przyjąć ogromne łapówki . 27 March 2024 . www.tvp.info . pl.
  19. Web site: 15 March 2024 . Skandal w Collegium Humanum. Kolejne osoby z poważnymi zarzutami . 27 March 2024 . Wprost . pl.
  20. Web site: Humanum . Collegium . Nowa Rektor Collegium Humanum . 10 March 2024 .
  21. Web site: Kim . Renata . 11 April 2024 . "Zmowa milczenia" w Collegium Humanum. Studenci w beznadziejnej sytuacji . 11 April 2024 . Newsweek . pl.
  22. https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/nowy-rektor-w-collegium-humanum-rusza-naprawa-uczelni-7023201972554688a
  23. Web site: Nowe Władze Rektorskie . 18 October 2024 . Uczelnia Biznesu i Nauk Stosowanych „Varsovia” . pl-PL.
  24. Web site: webadmin . 15 March 2024 . Oświadczenie . 27 March 2024 . Collegium Humanum - Szkoła Główna Menedżerska . pl-PL.
  25. Web site: 4 September 2024 . Była afera, jest wielki bałagan. Studenci uwięzieni w Collegium Humanum . 9 September 2024 . www.pulshr.pl . pl.
  26. Web site: 3 March 2024 . Collegium Humanum . 3 March 2024 . Newsweek . pl.
  27. Web site: "Newsweek" znów przegrywa w sądzie z Collegium Humanum . 3 March 2024 . wpolityce.pl . pl.
  28. Web site: 12 January 2024 . Będzie proces karny przeciw "Newsweekowi" za "stronniczy" wywiad o Collegium Humanum. Sąd po stronie uczelni . 3 March 2024 . Do Rzeczy . pl.
  29. Web site: Wydawca "Newsweek Polska" wniósł skargę kasacyjną od wyroku ws. Collegium Humanum . 6 March 2024 . Press.pl . pl.
  30. Web site: 2 September 2022 . CBA w Collegium Humanum. Przeszukanie związane z handlem dyplomami? Jest komunikat uczelni . 3 March 2024 . Wprost . pl.
  31. Web site: 25 June 2024 . Afera Collegium Humanum. Są zatrzymania . 20 November 2024 . Onet Wiadomości . pl.
  32. Web site: Wyborcza.pl . 20 November 2024 . czestochowa.wyborcza.pl.
  33. Web site: Wyborcza.pl . 19 November 2024 . warszawa.wyborcza.pl.
  34. Web site: 23 February 2024 . Zatrzymania w Collegium Humanum. Zarzuty dla siedmiu osób, w tym rektora . 3 March 2024 . Wprost . pl.
  35. Web site: 12 September 2024 . Zarzuty korupcyjne dla Ryszarda Czarneckiego i jego żony . 19 November 2024 . TVN24 . pl.
  36. Web site: Zygiel . Adam . 27 February 2024 . "Porażająca" skala fałszywek. Dyplomy nawet bez egzaminów . 3 March 2024 . wiadomosci.wp.pl . pl.
  37. Web site: 28 February 2024 . Managerowie z dyplomami MBA na Collegium Humanum. Wśród nich dyrektorzy komunikacji i marketingu . 3 March 2024 . www.wirtualnemedia.pl . pl.
  38. Web site: Fabryka PiS-owskich magistrów. Partyjniacy "zdobywają" dyplomy w 2-3 miesiące . 3 March 2024 . naTemat.pl . PL-pl.
  39. Web site: 20 June 2022 . Collegium Humanum kuźnią PiS-owskich "talentów". MBA w 3 miesiące, wśród absolwentów brat Obajtka . 3 March 2024 . gazetapl . pl.
  40. Web site: 4 March 2024 . Gdula wskazuje winnego ws. Collegium Humanum. Chodzi o jedną ustawę . 6 March 2024 . Wprost . pl.
  41. Web site: Rząd podjął decyzję w sprawie dyplomów MBA z Collegium Humanum . 27 March 2024 . Rzeczpospolita . pl.
  42. Web site: Afera Collegium Humanum. Resort reaguje . 3 March 2024 . www.tvp.info . pl.
  43. Web site: 26 February 2024 . Kłopoty Collegium Humanum. Minister: Gdy potwierdzą się zarzuty o przestępczej działalności, dyplomy będą do unieważnienia . 3 March 2024 . Bankier.pl . pl.
  44. Web site: Wyborcza.pl . 3 March 2024 . poznan.wyborcza.pl.
  45. Web site: Lewe dyplomy doprowadzą do katastrof w samorządach? Absolwent Sutryk pod lupą dziennikarzy śledczych Niezalezna.pl . 3 March 2024 . niezalezna.pl.
  46. Web site: Kim . Renata . 17 January 2024 . Mistyfikacja Collegium Humanum. "Pojechałam do Londynu, by obejrzeć »prestiżową« uczelnię" [ŚLEDZTWO] ]. 3 March 2024 . Newsweek . pl.
  47. Web site: Kim . Renata . 19 January 2024 . "Na psychologii uczy makijażystka". Collegium Humanum pod lupą na Węgrzech . 3 March 2024 . Newsweek . pl.
  48. Web site: Weber . Stefan . 14 November 2023 . Doktorat in 10 Monaten an Wiener Briefkasten-Universität . 3 March 2024 . DOZ. DR. STEFAN WEBER . de-DE.
  49. Web site: eKurier - Collegium Humanum dla młodych . 3 March 2024 . ekurier.24kurier.pl.
  50. Web site: webadmin . 14 August 2023 . Provost's visit to the branch of Collegium Humanum in Uzbekistan . 3 March 2024 . Collegium Humanum - Szkoła Główna Menedżerska . pl-PL.
  51. Web site: 14 October 2022 . Afera z udziałem byłego senatora PO. Jest wniosek o areszt dla Tomasza Misiaka . 27 March 2024 . www.pap.pl.
  52. Web site: 27 March 2024 . Tomasz Misiak: jestem ofiarą, a nie hersztem gangu . 27 March 2024 . pb.pl . pl-PL.
  53. Web site: Nowe informacje ws. afery wokół byłego senatora PO. Prokuratura kieruje wnioski o areszt . 27 March 2024 . polskieradio24.pl . pl.
  54. Web site: webadmin . 6 April 2022 . HUMANUM TALKS online debate with Tomasz Misiak on "The role of entrepreneurs and the war in Ukraine" . 27 March 2024 . Collegium Humanum - Szkoła Główna Menedżerska . pl-PL.
  55. Web site: Kaczorowska . Katarzyna . 5 March 2024 . Tu jeńców nie będzie. Afera Collegium Humanum pogrąża Sutryka, Tusk ogłasza audyt . 27 March 2024 . www.polityka.pl . pl.
  56. Web site: Collegium Humanum otwiera nową siedzibę . 27 March 2024 . www.pap.pl.
  57. Web site: Richards . Anna . 2024-04-09 . Poland's MBA scandal has exposed our credentialling culture . 2024-09-09 . The Spectator . en-GB.
  58. Web site: Ryszard Czarnecki i jego żona zatrzymani przez CBA . 17 September 2024 . www.pap.pl.
  59. Web site: President Václav Klaus appointed Honorary Professor of Collegium Humanum . Collegium Humanum. 15 September 2020 .
  60. Web site: Inauguration of the Academic Year 2020/2021 at Collegium Humanum with an Honorary Professorship for the President of the Polish Olympic Committee . Collegium Humanum. 26 October 2020 .

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