LETTER FROM WARSAW

It's a scandal that embarrasses the entire Polish political class, from the former ultra-conservative majority of PiS, in power between 2015 and 2023, to the new liberal coalition leading the country since December 2023. In the run-up to local and European elections, the large-scale awarding of MBA (Master's in Business Administration) degrees by the private university Collegium Humanum – under dubious conditions – continues to have an impact on public opinion and create uproar within the main political parties. In just a few years, these business degrees had become invaluable passports to lucrative positions, notably on the boards of the country's many public companies.

The Collegium Humanum affair is becoming a symbol of nepotistic practices in Poland. The mechanism – which was uncovered over the last two years by media investigations and has finally been taken up by the authorities – is striking in its scope. On February 23, the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) arrested seven people, including the founder and rector of the private university, Pawel Czarnecki. The 44-year-old Doctor of Theology and Philosophy was taken into custody and faces 30 charges, including participation in organized criminal activity, embezzlement, and misuse of corporate assets. In total, some 30 people linked to the establishment have been indicted.

It has to be said that the company set up by the rector was a well-oiled machine. In 2017, the PiS party, then in power, liberalized the conditions required to qualify for highly coveted positions on the boards of directors of public companies. Previously, the qualifications required were particularly demanding, underpinned by a reputedly difficult national competitive examination. However, the PiS passed a law opening up these positions to holders of an MBA. Originating in the USA, this business and management degree is an internationally recognized springboard for executive careers.

But these programs are long, demanding, and expensive. In Poland, it is possible to acquire an MBA with international certification, for a minimum of four semesters of study and tuition fees ranging from 50,000 to 80,000 zlotys (€11,500 to €18,500). The Collegium Humanum University – which was created in the wake of the liberalization law – offered MBA degrees that could be acquired in between three months and one semester for 9,500 zlotys (€2,200). The courses, which were delivered exclusively online, were "of poor quality," according to the many student testimonials reported in the media, and the degree was conditional on passing an exam in the form of 30 multiple-choice questions.

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