Amazing allegations of embezzlement, corruption, and incompetence have been made against Webster’s University of Thailand which has its major campus in Cham-Am.
The allegations have been made by a former educator there who has sent the file to Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha complaining about the administration, which is in the main Indian.
The academic’s report makes a fascinating read and is backed up by many documents.
Essentially the author, Jesse Nichols, claims that Webster University is no more than a diploma mill, which fabricates its educational successes and whose senior figures pocket cash meant for education to go on jollies.
It appears the parent Webster University in the United States has not yet done an audit, but representatives have visited and have been wined and dined.
The current Rector of the University is Rakish Tapur, who, it is alleged, told student leaders at a meeting with the SGA (the student council) that they “would be shot” (assassinated by a “hit man”) if they didn’t stop complaining about the poor quality of academics, facilities, and otherwise at the WUT campus.
His deputy is Nisha Ray-Chaudri of which the author Jesse Nichols says:
“Academic Director Nisha Ray-Chaudhuri has been submitting fraudulent “research” to the Thai Ministry of Education for multiple years in a row in order to renew WUT’s “university-level” Quality Assessment ratings from the Thai government, which requires ongoing PhD research to be performed.
Ray-Chaudhuri alleged to the Committee that she received direct instruction from Thakur on how to carry out the fraud, including submitting research that had been completed by other Webster University campuses, changing the names on certain research projects, re-submitting old research papers, and submitting the names of “full-time” faculty that do not work at the WUT campus.
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| Ray-Chaudhuri |
Interestingly, even with allegedly fraudulent research being submitted, the Thai QA system still concluded that WUT has an extremely poor rating in terms of full-time faculty and overall research activity.
Specifically, for the “15” full-time faculty that WUT claims to employ, only a mere ฿7,495 THB (approximately $230 USD) is apparently budgeted for each “researcher” per year to carry out their mandatory university-level research, resulting in a score of just 1.4 out of 5 possible points for the WUT campus in that category.
One of the fascinating aspects of the report is the mention of the hiring of academics with phony qualifications. Up comes Dr. Roy Krishnan first exposed on this site last year as a person who has re-invented himself in Thailand.
Jesse Nichols writes: “Then of course, there’s the story of “Dr.” Edward Roy Krishnan, a scam artist from Malaysia with multiple “doctorate” degrees he purchased from diploma mills.
Guess which Thai university hired him without a second thought? That’s right, WUT.
There’s also the new “director” of WUT’s School of Business and Technology, Ramona Mihaela Paun, who claims 1 Phd, 2 Masters, and a Bachelors from Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, along with a Phd and Bachelors from the University of Gothenburg. Strangely, she achieved this impressive amount of six different degrees at the same time she claims to have held full time jobs at JCI Romania, a Romanian non-profit organization.”
COMMENT: Enjoy the report all you out there in the academic world. Something similar could be happening close to you. I enjoyed it and may I say it was very well researched, for an ex-educator at WUT! Don’t expect Thailand’s current Prime Minister to do anything about this though.
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| Caption and photo from Jesse Nichols |
LINK – Education is for the birds – Psst! Wanna buy a degree
When you work Globally its quite easy to click on that where there are Indians, there is corruption
A sad tale. Will Webster University in the US do anything to disassociate itself with this scam? Or is it also just a diploma mill?
Sadly, the report Drummond links only scratches the surface of the criminality, corruption and venality that is deeply rooted in the Webster Thailand administration, and in which the parent administration in St. Louis is complicit. It is a sad commentary on Asian education that the Thai government hasn't shut down this faux university.
It is an even sadder commentary on the American authorities that they have done nothing about the complicit St. Louis outfit if what you and AD says is correct. Don't just pile the blame on the Thais.
Maybe drew can get that journalism degree now…lol
Maybe Drew can actually get a high school diploma first!
A friend of mine received their "MBA" from Webster Thailand. Foolishly, they complained to the professor about the lack of work and seriousness of the school. They questioned their professors and insisted their fellow group members pull their weight on course projects. They received the worst grades in their classes. How dare they try to get an education from a university, just shut up and take your diploma.
http://www.neumont.edu/cmsdocuments/Neumont_University_President_Praises_Courts_Decision_07312014.pdf
Jesse Nickles and Collegetimes are Frauds. Do a story on why the disgruntled former faculty want to make this happen. Find out how racism prevails in Webster Thailand. Do a real investigation if you are a real journalist. Be sensational. But be with the innocents.Have a great day!
Not my speciality Anonymous Webster Friend – the link you provide seems to go for another quasi $#$# uni. Cannot personally undertake a investigation of Webster University at the moment – but if there's something I'm missing
Webster University is not fake which it ranks many veterans who served for America. I read this blog but the fact it seems slamming a American school. It is true the school is ran like a business case point every place has to stay open nothing is free.