The Higher Education Ministry has formulated the regulations for the registration and operation of universities in the Maldives, pursuant to the Higher Education and Training Act.
The regulations were established to standardise the procedures for registering, operating, and dissolving universities, as well as to define the criteria and standards required for university status in the Maldives.
Under the new rules, an institution can be registered as a university if it has operated continuously as a college in the Maldives for 15 years, or if it has functioned as a government-recognised university in a foreign country for at least 10 years.
Colleges seeking university status must demonstrate that they offer their own academic programs, or programs from a foreign university, in at least three distinct fields at Level 7 (Bachelor’s Degree) and Level 9 (Master’s Degree) of the Maldives National Qualifications Framework (MNQF).
The eligibility criteria for attaining university status include
- Conducting internal programs or foreign university programs in at least three fields at MNQF Levels 7 and 9.
- Maintaining an active enrollment of at least 1,000 students in courses at MNQF Level 7 or higher.
- Being a college that has participated in and achieved a position in international university ratings or rankings.
- Holding membership in an international association of universities and an international quality assurance body for at least five years.
- Possessing experience in conducting international-standard research in collaboration with foreign universities and organisations.
- Ensuring that at least 10 percent of the academic staff teaching in the institution's programs hold PhDs.
Furthermore, the regulations provide detailed provisions regarding university registration, legal status, university charters, the University Council, program implementation, academic centers, and other administrative matters.
President Mohamed Muizzu ratified the amendment to the Higher Education and Training Act last year, which allows colleges with 15 years of operation to transition into universities.
Following this legislative change, institutions that have operated as a college in the Maldives for 15 years, or as a foreign university for 10 years, are eligible for university registration. The previous law required colleges to have a minimum of 20 years of operational history before they could apply for university status.
