Senior academic charged in Polish diploma mill probe

Polish prosecutors say they have charged a senior academic as part of a widening probe into a fake degree scheme linked to Collegium Humanum, a defunct private Warsaw-based university accused of operating as a diploma mill.

Photo:

Panek, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The suspect, identified only as Iryna K., was detained on June 13 at Warsaw’s Okęcie Airport by officers from Poland’s Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) and Border Guard, state news agency PAP reported.

The arrest was made on orders from prosecutors investigating suspected corruption and document fraud tied to Collegium Humanum, reporters were told.

Prorektor prywatnej uczelni wyższej w Łodzi zatrzymana na lotnisku Okęcie - to kolejna osoba, która miała działać w ramach grupy przestępczej zajmującej się wystawianiem fikcyjnych dokumentów. Akcja ma związek ze śledztwem w sprawie Collegium Humanum.https://t.co/ucjlvq7iiO

— tvp.info 🇵🇱 (@tvp_info) June 17, 2025

According to the National Public Prosecutor’s Office, Iryna K., deputy rector of a private tertiary education institution in the central city of Łódź, is suspected of paying at least PLN 200,000 (EUR 46,750, USD 53,750) in bribes to members of the Polish Accreditation Committee in return for favourable decisions regarding her university.

W śledztwie dotyczącym daw. Collegium Humanum prokurator przedstawił prorektorowi prywatnej uczelni w Łodzi zarzuty korupcyjne, w tym wręczenia korzyści majątkowych członkom Polskiej Komisji Akredytacyjnej oraz przyjęcia korzyści od ponad 2000 studentów.https://t.co/foVHqE9Yk1

— Prokuratura (@PK_GOV_PL) June 17, 2025

She is also accused of receiving over PLN 3 million from more than 2,000 students in exchange for issuing fraudulent academic documents, including diplomas and course certificates.

Prosecutors say the suspect was part of a wider organised criminal group operating in both Poland and Ukraine.

The group allegedly issued fake degrees and postgraduate certificates under the Collegium Humanum name, without legitimate academic instruction having taken place.

The documents were then often used to gain promotions, particularly in state-owned companies.

Following a court hearing, Iryna K. was placed under conditional detention for three months, with bail set at PLN 200,000.

Founded in Warsaw in 2018, Collegium Humanum attracted attention for offering fast-track MBA and postgraduate degrees, often in cooperation with unaccredited foreign institutions.

The school rebranded as the "Varsovia School of Business and Applied Sciences" in mid-2024.

Collegium Humanum last year rebranded as the "Varsovia School of Business and Applied Sciences." Photo: Panek, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Among its alumni were high-profile individuals such as politicians and board members of Poland’s state-owned enterprises, according to reports.

So far, 72 individuals have been charged with a total of 372 offences in the investigation.

Prosecutors say the probe is ongoing and may involve additional suspects.

(rt/gs)

Source: PAP, gov.pl