Politics as a Patron of Illegal Actions by a Private University?

BiH, (Patria) - A large number of domestic state institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina have established close cooperation in the last two years with a private university with an attractive name - the American University in BiH (AUBiH). It is a university founded 13 years ago in Tuzla as a private higher education institution by the controversial businessman Denis Prcić.
Among AUBiH's collaborators today are domestic scientific institutions, domestic and foreign organizations, as well as individuals in the highest positions in the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to sponsored articles that AUBiH pays for in some BiH media, this university also has a memorandum of understanding and cooperation with the Union of Police Bodies of BiH. The signing of this agreement at the end of January this year was attended by representatives of the unions of the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the State Investigation and Protection Agency, the Police Support Agency, and representatives of the Service for Foreigners' Affairs.

The President of the American University in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Prcić, stated that he has been cooperating for some time with the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as with the Ministry of Defense.

The American University in Bosnia and Herzegovina awards domestic and foreign diplomats. The Assistant Minister of Security of BiH for International Cooperation and European Integration, Samir Rizvo, is mentioned on the university's website as an assistant professor and member of the teaching staff. Selmo Cikotić, advisor to the member of the Presidency of BiH and the President of SDA Bakir Izetbegović, also has cooperation with the University.

AUBiH has a work permit from the Ministry of Education of Tuzla Canton, but not from other cantons in the Federation of BiH. It is unclear under what conditions AUBiH operates in Sarajevo at all, and why security agencies in BiH signed cooperation with the University without prior verification of who they are entering into a partnership with.

Education in the Federation is under the jurisdiction of cantonal authorities. Every university, faculty, or higher school must obtain a work permit from the cantonal ministry of education in whose territory they operate. Students of the American University in BiH attend lectures in Sarajevo as well - according to information on the University's website, lectures are held at the address Trg solidarnosti 10 - even though AUBiH has no work permit in the Sarajevo Canton area at all. This was confirmed to Patria by the Ministry of Education of Sarajevo Canton in May 2017. The website of the Ministry of Education of Sarajevo Canton currently lists the names of five universities registered to operate in the canton, but the name of the American University in BiH is still not there.
  
Prcić was born in Tuzla. He completed his studies in the USA, after which he founded a private university in Tuzla. Former Vice President of the Federation of BiH Mirsad Kebo refused several years ago to give consent for Prcić to be appointed head of the Securities Commission, citing precisely Prcić's questionable biography. /A.A./