The Inter-Governmental Accreditation Commission (IGAC) was established as an autonomous Official Agency of Ignita Veritas United (IVU) as an intergovernmental organization (IGO).
It is internationally licensed to serve as an official accrediting body and accreditation agency, with governmental authority to accredit external educational institutions and their academic degrees, including accreditation of Transfer Credits between institutions.
Note – The Accreditation Commission (IGAC) does not accredit Ignita Veritas University, which is independently accredited by multiple governments, but rather exercises its legal authority to officially accredit external schools and universities (IVU Sovereign Charter, Article 32.4).
All net proceeds from the Inter-Governmental Accreditation Commission (IGAC) are used to fund the non-profit humanitarian operations of the host IGO institution Ignita Veritas United (IVU), including the Sovereign Court of International Justice (SCIJ).
The Inter-Governmental Accreditation Commission (IGAC) is internationally licensed and governmentally authorized as an official accrediting body and accreditation agency, holding licenses from the Ministries of Education and Ministries of Foreign Affairs of multiple governments of the collective Member States of Ignita Veritas United (IVU) as the host IGO institution (IVU Sovereign Charter, Article 32.4).
Its official powers and authorities to grant accreditation are thus fully licensed at the highest supra-governmental level, not subject to influence or regulation by any particular country, with inherent legal authorities directly backed by conventional international law.
The authorities of the Inter-Governmental Accreditation Commission (IGAC) as an educational accrediting body and accreditation agency are protected by international law, under the 1966 Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (Articles 13.1, 13.2(c), 13.4), with a mandate for promoting the rights of access to and quality of education supporting human rights, under the 2008 UN Human Rights Council (HRC) Resolution 8/4: Right to Education (Article 7:(a),(e),(f),(i)).
These legal authorities in education are “binding upon” all countries as a “recognized customary rule” under the 1969 Convention on Law of Treaties (Article 38).
These authorities of the Accreditation Commission (IGAC) are further enhanced by supporting law firm authorities of Magna Carta Bar Chambers (MCBC) as the Law Center of Barristers, which is licensed to provide legal services including certification of legal documents for official and governmental use in international affairs.
The Accreditation Commission (IGAC) is primarily operated by qualified experts and academic professionals of the Ministries of Education of participating Member States, managed by Barristers of the Law Center, and supported by the Government Court Division of the Sovereign Court of International Justice (SCIJ).
These foundations provide the strongest legal basis to operate the highest level of international accrediting body, to evaluate and certify external educational and academic programs, schools and university institutions.
As an official accreditation agency for institutions, it can exercise this same authority to accredit the legal fact of education for individuals, which empowers it to accredit and establish academic Transfer Credits between institutions, and to legalize foreign diplomas for international use.
Fulfilling its official mandates under international law, the Inter-Governmental Accreditation Commission (IGAC) upholds the highest standards of academic freedom, scholarly truth and educational quality in teaching and learning. It also provides the functions of official consolidation and legalization of Transfer Credits between educational institutions.
The institutional practice of granting university degrees by accreditation was originally established in England in 1836 AD, when the University of London was granted sole authority as the “examining body” determining academic qualifications, and awarding the resulting degrees, for studies at University College and Kings College.
This created the official “External System” of accrediting either studies from another institution, or self-directed independent studies, as the basis for issuing legalized diplomas. British educational historians note that: “thus arose in nearly archetypal form the famous English distinction between teaching and examining, here embodied in separate institutions.” [1]
The traditional British system of degrees by accreditation, based on “examination” by evaluating prior external studies, developed since ca. 1986, specifically emphasizing the acceptance of Transfer Credits. It was internationally adopted as the “European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System” in 1989.
These standards and practices were consolidated by the UK Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, and published as the “Higher Education Credit Framework” in 2008 [2].
The official standards specifically recognize the practice of “accreditation of prior learning”, confirming that establishing Transfer Credits are an exercise of accrediting authority.
The standards directly mandate the practice of “credit transfer”, defined as “credit… [being] quantified and included towards the credit requirements for a [degree] programme delivered by another higher education provider”.
The standards also define earned “credit” as “verified achievement of designated learning outcomes”, confirming criteria based on the end result of academic education, excluding discrimination against different teaching methods or types of institutions. [3]
It is commonly known that internationally, universities widely and popularly accept Transfer Credits from other institutions, on a routine basis. However, despite the officially recognized fact that “all learning may be expressed in terms of credit values”, universities generally have an inherent conflict of interest preventing them from granting a diploma entirely comprised of Transfer Credits:
Either to maximize tuition payments as for-profit revenues or non-profit budgets, or to claim “higher” standards over other institutions as competitors, universities typically refuse to accept all Transfer Credits in full satisfaction of earning a degree, and require tuition for a minimum amount of faculty courses. This is usually done by artificially limiting either “the proportion of credit which may be transferred”, or “the currency or shelf-life of credit”. [4]
Ignita Veritas United (IVU) as an intergovernmental organization (IGO) provides the rare opportunity to complete academic degrees, earning international diplomas, by the full consolidation and legalization of Transfer Credits.
Transfer Credits are evaluated and established by the separate and independent Inter-Governmental Accreditation Commission (IGAC), and are then accepted by Ignita Veritas University (IV University) which issues the resulting accredited degrees.
The Accreditation Commission (IGAC) differs from the traditional Transfer Credit practices only in its willingness to give full and fair credit where credit is due. In all cases where legitimate and relevant academic studies of scholarly merit have in fact been earned and can be legally documented, all of the resulting Transfer Credits can be applied towards legalized degrees.
While fully upholding all of the highest international standards, IV University simply does not impose any artificial restrictions, accepting all Transfer Credits established by the independent governmentally licensed Accreditation Commission (IGAC).
IV University believes it receives sufficient indirect benefits from this, as the non-profit accreditation fees help fund the humanitarian projects which drive its Faculty study programs to accommodate more tuition students. Most Transfer Credit graduates also tend to actively volunteer for the humanitarian projects on a long-term basis, further strengthening the University and its Faculties.
The Accreditation Commission (IGAC) requires two primary criteria (among others) for all Transfer Credits, which are mandatory and absolute:
The prior studies must be both (1) institutional academic studies under qualified instructors which include research and writing; and (2) relevant to the sphere or specialty of the specific degree program to which they may be applied.
The final requirement, which is also mandatory and absolute, is that the student seeking to apply Transfer Credits must also submit a substantial body of academic writings, containing a sufficient level and scope of source references evidencing scholarly research, which meet the international standards for a Thesis or Dissertation applicable to the intended degree program.
Compilation Thesis Exception – The Accreditation Commission (IGAC) prefers the classical “Monograph” form of Thesis or Dissertation. However, for members of scholarly professions or career academics, it may accept the required work in the conventionally recognized form of a “Compilation Thesis”, also called a “Dissertation by Publication”:
Such work should be a collection of interrelated academic articles, research papers and book chapters written by the student, integrated by introductory chapters providing a comprehensive summary of the compiled works, and presenting a synthesis of their conclusions. [5] [6] [7]
Research Project Exception – For Professional degree programs in a specialized field, an alternative form of Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation is completing a “Research Project”:
A graduate Research Project can be a tangible or practical accomplishment, such as development of a product or service, a new technology or methodology, management program or policy manual. The project must be presented with a final report, connecting theories with practice, demonstrating the direct application of academic knowledge to create a practical solution to a real-world problem.
The Accreditation Commission (IGAC) requires one additional key qualifying element, beyond completing a number of course credits and an academic research work:
All Transfer Credit applicants must also possess the appropriate level of practical skills which are generally expected in the industry or profession of the relevant degree.
Accreditation thus involves examination by review of the person’s related professional activities, supplemented by an interview discussing pertinent issues of the academic subject matter.
Any additional course credits needed to complete a traditional degree program can be earned through the classical Faculty Course Studies of IV University, by completing customized Faculty Study Modules in connection with mentorship and apprenticeship.
Any supporting skills training needed can be provided, usually as a single customized Faculty Study Module.
If only improving or expanding a qualified research work is needed, a Thesis Advisor or Dissertation Mentor can be assigned for a final project to complete the degree program.
Transfer Credit students are given priority for acceptance into the otherwise exclusive private Faculty Course Study programs, for any course credits needed to complete a degree.
Accelerated “Fast Track” studies are automatically available without special arrangements, enabled by year-round operations with extended hours afforded by multiple time zones. This removes all artificial limitations on the speed and intensity of studies, allowing students to complete all required course credits at their own pace, which can be 2-3 times faster than structured institutional studies.
Graduation is thus entirely based upon consolidation and legalization of sufficient combined modular course credits, from Faculty studies under IV University and/or from accredited Transfer Credits from recognized external institutions.
Degrees issued by IV University are thus exclusively based upon proper academic studies under traditional educational programs, strictly meeting and even exceeding all of the highest international standards, to fully uphold the integrity and expected level of skills and knowledge of the relevant degree.
There are many practical reasons, based on a wide range of reasonable needs, why many highly qualified professionals often seek a licensed accredited diploma by consolidation and legalization of Transfer Credits for one or more academic degrees.
In times of employment and contracting work being increasingly politicized by geopolitical polarization, many professionals face discrimination only by holding a legitimate degree from the “wrong” country, such as a “developing”, “disfavored” or otherwise disadvantaged nation.
Likewise, in the multinational economy, professionals may also encounter reverse discrimination by holding a degree from a Western “dominant” country, which is perceived as suppressing other nations while itself actually having lower academic standards than many other countries.
Similarly, legitimate diplomas from government or military agencies may be disfavored, or considered too political, in private corporate culture. Many government and military diplomas also do not name a degree designation, making them unrecognizable in the private sector.
Additionally, valid academic degrees from ecclesiastical or religious institutions for otherwise secular studies may be disregarded in secular industries, or may be confused with or prejudiced by the “honorary” diplomas traditionally granted by Churches for non-academic religious purposes.
In some cases, valid degrees may be disfavored only because the issuing educational institution does not have a sufficiently “prestigious” name, such as a “community college” or “polytechnic institute”, implying a disadvantaged socioeconomic status, especially in countries where professions tend to be characterized by an “elite” mentality of insider privilege by discrimination.
In many countries, diplomas for higher education are unrecognizable to the industries and professions of most Western countries, because their titles are so foreign or so generic as to be unidentifiable as conventional academic degrees.
For example, diplomas such as “state examination”, “specialist diploma”, “first qualification”, “candidate”, or “higher qualification” actually translate as various levels of Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate, and even Post-Doctorate degrees.
Enormous benefit is thus provided by simply “translating” between educational systems, by consolidating and legalizing country-specific diplomas into the equivalent internationally standard traditional degrees.
Many schools of professional instruction provide real and proper academic studies, but too modestly describe their studies only as a form of “training”, or present the school only as a type of “center”.
The Accreditation Commission (IGAC) requires all course credits to be from academic studies under formal instruction in established educational institutions. However, it can officially recognize studies from many respected learning centers which are not necessarily named as a “school” or “university”.
Such studies can include training courses from corporate, government, military, professional, or ecclesiastical institutions, as professional development or specialized expert training programs, involving instruction through academic skills. Valid studies can also include the institutional practice of a scholarly profession which inherently involves substantial academic research and writing.
In all of these and many more situations, it may be highly desirable to de-emphasize a country affiliation, government or military background, religious affiliation, or disadvantaged socioeconomic background, to translate a country-specific diploma title, or to translate academic courses from professional formal instruction into the equivalent university degrees.
The ideal solution, fulfilling these real and compelling needs, is that of accrediting the verified fact of individual education by examination, officially consolidating and legalizing Transfer Credits into universal diplomas for traditional academic degrees of classical scholarship, meeting the highest level of international standards.
This officially recognized and widely accepted practice is thus a valuable and highly effective tool in promoting positive international relations, cooperation, and shared productivity among peoples, cultures and nations of the world.
For such legitimate purposes, nothing can be more effective than truly multinational and politically neutral diplomas, from an intergovernmental organization (IGO) university, fully licensed and accredited at the highest supra-governmental level of conventional international law.
Ignita Veritas University is one of only five IGO universities in the world with this status, and is the only one which accepts all valid and relevant Transfer Credits in full satisfaction of earning the resulting academic degrees.
All legalization of degree qualifications and accreditation of academic transfer credits meets or exceeds all international standards of the EU European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), UK Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ), UN Guidelines for Cross-Border Higher Education (Section 2), and 2010 Lisbon Convention Criteria for Assessment of Foreign Qualifications (Articles 36-37).
All Ignita Veritas University academic degrees are earned by completing modular course credits, and scholarly research and academic writing of professional Thesis or Dissertation works, which meet or exceed all customary international standards for the relevant diplomas.
All Transfer Credit consolidations require Academic Residency (at the teaching institution) of double the international standard (25%-50% of credits during residency), fulfilling customary standards for resident Faculty studies as provided by campus-based universities.
All Transfer Credits are accepted only from institutional academic studies including research and writing, under qualified instructors at recognized educational institutions, which are relevant as equivalent Faculty Study Modules towards completion of the degree program.
[1] Sheldon Rothblatt (Editor), Supply and Demand: The ‘Two Histories’ of English Education, Journal “History of Education Quarterly”, Cambridge University Press, Volume 28, Issue 4 (January 1988), pp.627-644.
[2] Credit Issues Development Group, Higher Education Credit Framework for England: Guidance on Academic Credit Arrangements, UK Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), Mansfield (2008).
[3] UK Higher Education Credit Framework, Quality Assurance Agency, “Explanation of Terms”, pp.2-3.
[4] UK Higher Education Credit Framework, Quality Assurance Agency, Articles 38-39, at p.16.
[5] Prof. Björn Gustavii, How to Prepare a Scientific Doctoral Dissertation Based on Research Articles, Cambridge University Press (2012); Björn Gustavii is a Professor at Lund University Hospital, Sweden.
[6] Cally Guerin, Connecting the Dots: Writing a Doctoral Thesis by Publication, published in: C. Badenhorst & C. Guerin (Editors), Research Literacies and Writing Pedagogies for Masters and Doctoral Writers, Brill Press, Leiden & Boston (2016), pp.31-50.
[7] P. Dellgran & S. Höjer, The Politics of Social Work Research: Ph.D. Theses in Sweden, “European Journal of Social Work”, Volume 15, Issue 4 (2012), pp.581-597.
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