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To: scion who wrote (95121)	8/29/2006 9:54:29 PM
From: StockDung	Respond to of 122087

Iran: Wrangle Continues Over Diploma Mill, Bill Samii, Radio Free Europe, September 20, 2005. In his 16 September Friday Prayer sermon in Tehran, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati demanded to know why nothing has been done about the case of the American University in Hawaii. Approximately one year ago, Iranian legal officials reported that the American University of Hawaii, a diploma mill with headquarters in the United States, was issuing degrees that the government did not recognize. This institution granted degrees in exchange for the payment of fees, and it did not require class attendance. On 15 September, "Iran" newspaper criticized the judiciary for its failure to take action. In August, the university case was referred to the judiciary for action. But since then, according to a 7 September "Jomhuri-yi Islami" report, there has been a bureaucratic tie-up. When the case first came to light, Iranian newspapers noted that a number of government and judiciary officials had gotten their credentials from the American University of Hawaii. Justice Minister and Judiciary spokesman Jamal Karimirad tried to allay in early September any concerns about the possibility of a conflict of interest. According to the "Jomhuri-yi Islami" report, he said, "Some media organs have suggested that since a number of individuals who are currently working in different parts of the judiciary are graduates of that university, the judiciary as a whole does not intend to investigate and process this legal dossier seriously." He continued, "Full investigative and judicial work on this dossier will commence during the coming month." According to its website, the American University of Hawaii has campuses in 19 countries, and Iran is not the only place where it is having problems. The U.S. state of Hawaii's Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs has filed several injunctions against the institution. The founder of the institution, Hassan Safavi, will go on trial in the state on 7 November 2005. The complaint against the institution notes that it is not accredited by any recognized agency or association, is "engaged in the operation of the unaccredited degree granting institution," and "offered to sell and sold post-secondary degrees..."

To: scion who wrote (95121)	8/29/2006 9:59:48 PM
From: StockDung	Respond to of 122087

DR R STEVEN DAVIDSON INVENTOR OF ZICAM ACUALLY GOT A PH.D AND A MBA FROM A DIPLOMA MILL WHICH WAS RUN BY HASSON "HENRY" SAFAVI WITHOUT EVER HAVING A UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE. THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF ASTURIAS (SPAIN) WAS CLOSED DOWN BY THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT. The Men Behind Zicam washingtonpost.com Tuesday, January 31, 2006; Page HE05 Like other scientific entrepreneurs, Robert Steven DAVIDSON thought zinc might be a promising treatment for the common cold. But unlike many inventors of drugs, DAVIDSON and his colleague Charles B. HENSLEY, who hold patents on Zicam, have unusual backgrounds. DAVIDSON received a bachelor's degree in 2004 from a "virtual" university, Excelsior College in Albany, N.Y. He lists himself as a PhD, a degree he obtained from an unaccredited and now-defunct university in Spain. His colleague and co-inventor HENSLEY holds a doctorate in physiology from the University of Southern California and is currently chief executive officer of PRB Pharmaceuticals based in Cypress, Calif. HENSLEY recently received a warning letter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the sale over the Internet of an unapproved drug his company makes to treat bird flu. HENSLEY previously developed a weight-loss remedy that involves sniffing "specially developed aromas." DAVIDSON, who has contributed articles to Men's Fitness magazine, says his doctorate in biopharmaceutical project management and his MBA in international finance were earned at the American University of ASTURIAS in ASTURIAS, Spain, in the late 1990s. The school was closed in 2000 for violations of Spanish law, records show, and is considered a diploma mill by American authorities. DAVIDSON, who sold his interest in Zicam several years ago when he left to start another biotech firm, said he was unaware of any problems with the school in Spain. It is unusual to earn a doctorate before a bachelor's degree, he said in an interview, but his advanced degrees are legitimate. "I did work, a research paper and a dissertation." He declined to discuss whether any safety questions arose during Zicam's development and testing. DAVIDSON said he met HENSLEY years ago at Cleveland Chiropractic College in Los Angeles, where he was taking classes and HENSLEY was a professor. On Nov. 23, the FDA sent HENSLEY a letter about Vira 38, an antiviral compound marketed on PRB's Web site as effective in treating influenza, bird flu and SARS. The regulatory agency told HENSLEY he was violating federal law by selling an unapproved drug and warned that he and his company could face further legal action including "seizure of illegal products." HENSLEY did not respond to e-mails or telephone calls. -- Sandra G. Boodman