Humboldt International University

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Johann766, Jun 12, 2020.

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  1. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    You mean like these jokers? ;)

    https://harvardms.mba
     
  2. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    No. Like the other jokers. The unaccredited and/ or fake - or nonexistent ones. It appears there are no rules. You can use this domain any way you want, AFAIK. If it's for a university - a fake one can use it as easily as a real one. I've seen ads for the domain that indicate it can be used to highlight the site owner's personal MBA - I'm guessing no matter how/where (or even if) he/she earned it. It's not like the .edu domain - at all. We need an "MBACause" to police it. Who wants the job?

    Die-Freie-Universität-von-Johann.mba
     
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2020
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  3. Mac Juli

    Mac Juli Well-Known Member

  4. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    I did a search on Google Scholar to determine who Evgenii Evreinov is. Short story, he checks out. There are links to his work (in Russian) on computers and computational science. There is a paper in the Herald of Russian Academy of Sciences on history of Siberian computing, end E. V. Evreinov is mentioned as a first head of what grew to be the Computing Center of Siberian Branch of USSR Academy of Science (a rather famous place). This was in 1961; whether he is well enough to truly contribute to "WIDU" is anyone's guess.

    PS. Also, "Lenin Prize" is both real and prestigious (didn't verify he really got one - no reason to doubt), and if "Academician" properly refers to a Full Member of Russian/Soviet Academy of Sciences, that's a lofty title too.
     
  5. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Stanislav - I did verify it. Not that I had to, because I already knew, but just to be able to supply a link in case there was doubt - which there isn't. Yes, he's the second of the listed prize-winners.

    I called him Academician because he is. I checked that out, too, long ago. Commissar Wiki helped me at lot. Part of my um.. political re-education. Prof. Evreinov is genuine. How WIDU ever convinced him they were - I have no idea,
     
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2020
  6. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Ummm - I may have unintentionally exaggerated here.

    Prof. Evreinov is an Academician all right - but I didn't specify which academy. He's President of the European Academy of Informatization - a body I know nothing about. How did WIDU convince him? Perhaps they didn't have to. I'm not sure. In old threads on DI, it's written that he was somehow involved in the founding of WIDU.

    At the time, there appeared to be some connection between WIDU and Sarfraz Lloyd's West Coast University (Panama). Not the best of associations, perhaps, but even these cannot change the facts of Prof. Evreinov's genuine scientific accomplishments and high status in the academic / scientific world.

    This bio indicates he belongs to "many" other academies, also. http://www.eu.ac.rs/dload/Eduard_Evreinov.pdf

    His name is Eduard Evreinov wherever I found it. Where did the Evgenii come from, Stanislav?
     
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2020
  7. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    Actually, can you find the link - because I can't find it. There are biographies of Evreinov mentioning the Lenin Prize (1957), but these also mention WIDU, and I failed to find anything more definite. The list of Lenin Prize recipients in Russian Wikipedia don't list him for 1957. Also, title "second recipient of Lenin Prize" makes no sense - it was first awarded 22 April 1957, to many more people that 2.
    Also, these biographies do NOT list him as a member of RAS/AN SSSR. They would have if he was one; it's a big deal. He is listed as Professor, Doctor of Technical Sciences. This, right there, would produce his motivation for joining IAI/WIDU. He WAS the Deputy Director of Institute of Mathematics in Novosibirsk, and (co)-founder of their rather legendary Computing Centre (which is, now, a separate institute and accredited doctoral school) - but was quickly overshadowed by other greats. There's a letter from him to Academician Andrei Ershov asking to be nominated as Corresponding Member (step below full Academician) in 1987 - assuming he didn't get elected, that's a HUGE chip on shoulder.

    IAI was founded in early 90ies, somehow emerging from privatized Mosgorspravka - a phone service akin Moscow's Soviet-era Yellow Pages. They probably just flattered the geezer into joining.

    Also, apparently he died in 2011.
     
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2020
  8. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Apparently, WIDU must be like the Russian Mafia. You can never retire - - even when you die.

    I'm working on a link for the list I saw. I'll get back to you. In light of your info, it might have been a WIDU-produced list - - but whatever it is/was I'll get the link. It certainly wasn't on the English Wiki - - they have a full list of recipients, going back to at least 1941 - and I couldn't find Prof. Evreinov on it.

    Thanks for the corrections and excellent info. I'll probably get liquidated now. :)
     
  9. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Newsflash - Johann is full of Дерьмо - or maybe говно - again. Still can't find the link, still looking. Academician - but not of the right Academy. Lenin Prize -we'll see or, more likely, not. That guy Johann gets it all wrong - quite often.
     
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2020
  10. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Found it! Boy, have I been "had!" I finally woke up to the fact that the page belongs to iia.ca which is the International Informatization Academy - of which Evreinov is/was President AFAIK. It lists "Full Members of the Russian Science Academy" and Prof. Evreinov's name appears, with a detailed blurb about his being awarded a Lenin Prize. So much for the unbiased source! Good-looking job - fooled me. I found it by Googling "Evreinov Lenin Prize"

    It's part of iia.ca page. Can't reproduce the link workably. Suggest Google as above - its the first or second listing - headed "Members of the Russian Academy - - etc."

    Sorry for the botched job. And yes - it might well happen again. Maybe I'm just "another putz to keep an eye on" as they say at DLT.
     
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2020
  11. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Probably Triune Bible University - that's in Washington, with a branch in Nigeria. Here: https://www.tbuworldwide.com/
    Unaccredited (religious exemption - details on site.) but sincere-looking. Affiliated with, among other orgs. The Armored Sheep Ministry. That conjures up an interesting picture - at least in my mind.
     
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2020
  12. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Armored sheep - baaa, baaa, baaa Blammety-BLAM!
     
  13. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    More proof - if what you want doesn't exist, Google will make it for you.
     
  14. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    So was I. IAI even made a medal "Academician V. I. Evreinov", and they pushed this title hard. As you can guess, it is an extremely bad form for a real scientist to use Academician title without specifying the source unless it's from one of the "official" Academies. Serious people avoid associating with title mills altogether. I learned that the guy was affiliated with the Akademgorodok early on, and could not imagine a person like that would lie this way.

    In fact, apparently Evreiniv was involved in "computational deciphering the Mayan language" research effort, and by some accounts they tried to inflate their accomplishments. Some straight out call it "pseudoscience". That happened in 60ies; can explain why the guy with his obvious ambition and CV is not at least a Corresponding Member (and maybe why he left the booming Siberian Branch and went back to Moscow). Also, fitting MO for a WIDU character.
     
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  15. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Indeed. Thanks for your good work, Stanislav. Seriously. You have successfully debunked:
    (1) Evreinov
    (2) Johann

    Strip away the BS and there's some good in both of 'em, I guess... definitely Evreinov. Johann -- maybe. :)
     
  16. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I'm not sure what is gained from debunking people who are engaged in an obvious fraud already.

    When diploma mills used to hide the fact it could be fun uncovering them and their operators. But now they seem to operate in plain sight, knowing that's the last place employers will look!

    (This isn't a criticism; it's just a muse.)
     
  17. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    The debunking did considerable good:

    (1) I've long known what WIDU was, but I was always perplexed about Professor E's involvement - as I (and possibly others) thought his "Academician" status was genuine -- and I'd seen nothing that would put his Lenin Prize in doubt. Now I know ... he may have been a person of significant accomplishments - but, sadly, not as many as he claimed.

    (2) And it also taught me a lesson about speaking pseudo-authoritatively without sufficient knowledge. That's really worth something. Hope I don't forget it. Ever.

    And yes - diploma mills operate in the open. The fun is now all in uncovering the details -- especially the operators. And occasionally - what's found may steer some people away from them. Yeah, it's still fun - and still does some good.
     
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  18. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    I agree with this. Also, sometimes there is a colorful history behind the mills, even if fictional. John Kersey is THE Master of this, building the whole world where he is a Professor-Patriarch-Prince. Historical notes on his San Luigi website are almost Coelho novels, and have quite a bit of real history in this. Eg. how the legitimate nationalist Bielorussian diaspora and Bielorussian Autocephalous Church movements really mixed with Episcopi Vagantes world (through Walter Propheta) and questionable noble titles world. Fascinating read.

    Likewise, Soviet alt-academic world is it's own microcosm, where IAI/EAI are actually sizable players (maybe right behind the granddaddy of them, Russian Academy of Natural Sciences - RAEN). They were born in Perestroyka spirit of democratization and moving away from government control; but it was also the time of profiteering - and a boom in pseudoscience and new-agey BS. As a result, these entities quickly became title mills trading on significant respect for the "Academician" title (and other science titles). With amazing folklore to boot. At one point, there was an Academy selling full range of orders and medals similar to government awards - and paramilitary ranks, complete with dress uniforms and ID documents similar to what the police and intelligence officers carry. And they briefly had their own accredited university! To be fair, some of these places have "legitimate" services as low-rank publishing houses and conference organizers (IAI does that as well). "Legitimate" in Russian context - these are basically author mills. Similar kind of shenanigans go on in "Cossack" circles (I think there's an overlap, at least one "Academy of Cossackdom") - if you want to buy a Colonel rank with some medals, someone will sell it to you.
     
  19. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    If you say so. It's a very competitive field. Some other proprietors of alternative educational establishments call themselves academics, archbishops, cardinals, professors, parliamentarians, princes of far-flung realms, knights, adepts of ancient orders, rocket scientists, - sometimes all-in-one. A few actually are or were some of the people they claimed to be. Others - not so much. As a group, they lack neither imagination nor chutzpah. And yes - the stories are colourful. As exciting, sometimes, as this old man can stand.

    I remember a US University owner / Archbishop who devised an Apostolic Order that culminated in his Blessed Self. I got so excited when I saw it, I had to take my pill early. G'night, now...
     
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2020
  20. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    PS. I've seen those Cossack guys. They scare me. I think V. Putin likes the idea. They remind me of what Cossacks used to do to people they were paid not to like - i.e. Jews, back in the 19th century. I'm talking Pogroms here. The Uniforms now look sort of like 1930s Germany - SS.

    God forbid that any of us, Jewish or otherwise, should forget the past - if we do, that could facilitate a repeat. Nobody human and/or sane wants that.
     
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2020
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