ISSEA
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{{Infobox university
| name = ISSEA
| native_name =
| native_name_lang = Italian
| other_name = many
| former_name = Politecnico di Studi Aziendali and others
| image = Logo Politecnico di Studi Aziendali 2006.gif
| image_size =
| image_alt = Logo Politecnico di Studi Aziendali
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| established = {{Start date|1987}}
| closed =
| type = Unaccredited
| parent = I.S.S.E.A. SA
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| officer_in_charge = Massimo Silvestri
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| rector = None (previously: Fausto Cardano, Gregory Overton Smith)
| principal =
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| director = Massimo Silvestri
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| city = Zug, Geneva (previously: Lugano, Agno, Roveredo)
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| country = Switzerland
| coor = {{coord|47.1774159|8.5160639|region:CH_type:edu|display=inline,title}}
| campus = None
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| language = Italian
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| website = {{URL|https://www.ateneosupdi.ch}} and many others
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}}
ISSEA is a group of unaccredited for-profit diploma mills owned by Massimo Silvestri, which use many invented names and originated from the now defunct Politecnico di studi aziendali di Lugano Unipsa (Polytechnic University of Business Studies). The goal of the organization is to sell unaccredited Italian online degrees; however, since unaccredited degrees are illegal in Italy, the sole trader usually operates from bordering Italian-speaking areas of Switzerland.
Due to court orders, some of ISSEA's websites may now be offline, permanently or temporarily.
Parent company: I.S.S.E.A. SA
I.S.S.E.A. SA, "Istituto superiore di scienze economiche e aziendali" (Higher institute of economics and management), is a sole proprietorship owned by Massimo Silvestri, which claims to operate on the basis of the economic freedom and scientific freedom guaranteed in Title 2 of the Swiss Federal Constitution (art. 27 and art. 20), but it is not accredited{{cite web |title=Recognised or Accredited Swiss Higher Education Institutions |url=https://www.swissuniversities.ch/en/topics/studying/recognised-or-accredited-swiss-higher-education-institutions |access-date=4 December 2020 |website=swissuniversities.ch |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112013634/https://www.swissuniversities.ch/en/topics/studying/recognised-or-accredited-swiss-higher-education-institutions |archive-date=12 November 2020 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.oaq.ch/pub/en/01_00_00_home.php |title=Swiss Center of Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education (OAQ) |access-date=29 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140925152203/http://www.oaq.ch/pub/en/01_00_00_home.php |archive-date=25 September 2014 }}{{cite web |url=http://www4.ti.ch/decs/dcsu/asu/ |title=Area degli studi universitari della DCSU |language=it |trans-title=University studies office of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports |access-date=29 October 2014}}{{cite book |chapter-url=http://www.cimea.it/files/fileusers/Fabbriche%20titoli%20parte6.pdf |title=Le fabbriche di titoli |publisher=Cimea |trans-title=Degree mills |chapter=Le politiche di contrasto |trans-chapter=Policies against frauds |pages=158–159 |access-date=17 March 2015 |language=it |location=Rome |year=2009 |author=Benedetto Coccia |author2=Carlo Finocchietti |url=http://www.cimea.it/files/fileusers/Fabbriche%20titoli%20parte6.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903085132/http://www.cimea.it/files/fileusers/Fabbriche%20titoli%20parte6.pdf |archive-date=3 September 2014 }}{{cite web |url=http://www4.ti.ch/?id=73786 |access-date=3 March 2015 |title=Elenco delle scuole universitarie riconosciute, accreditate o in via di accreditamento |language=it |trans-title=List of universities that are recognized and accredited or will be accredited |website=Republic and Canton of Ticino}}{{cite news |date=March 1, 2012 |title=Bocciatura per l'ISSEA, che vede l'università sempre più a distanza |url=http://www.tio.ch/News/Ticino/Attualita/671331/Bocciatura-per-l-ISSEA-che-vede-l-universita-sempre-piu-a-distanza/ |location=Switzerland |publisher=Ticinonline |access-date=28 August 2014 |language=it}} by the Rectors' Conference of the Swiss Universities (CRUS). It was established in 1987,{{cite web |url=https://zg.chregister.ch/cr-portal/auszug/auszug.xhtml?uid=CHE-100.877.015 |title=I.S.S.E.A. SA - scuola universitaria privata a distanza |access-date=2021-02-25 |website=chregister.ch |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225085508/https://zg.chregister.ch/cr-portal/auszug/auszug.xhtml?uid=CHE-100.877.015 |archive-date=2021-02-25}} offering unaccredited degrees through its Politecnico di studi aziendali Unipsa (Polytechnic University of Business Studies, Unipsa) in Lugano and Agno.
Despite being based in Switzerland, with an alleged branch in San Marino, the organization has Italian landlines and the owner only speaks Italian because the degrees are offered to Italians from Switzerland, as unaccredited universities are illegal in Italy.{{cite news |url=http://espresso.repubblica.it/attualita/cronaca/2012/03/21/news/la-casta-beffata-dal-falso-rettore-1.41551 |title=La casta beffata dal falso rettore |language=it |access-date=4 March 2015 |date=21 March 2012 |trans-title=The political caste deceived by a fake rector |last=Fittipaldi |first=Emiliano |magazine=L'espresso}}
Although the director/founder/owner Massimo Silvestri (also going by Massimo Maria Pietro) is not a current member of the Swiss Bar or Italian Bar, he introduces himself as an attorney, using the Italian "avv." title.{{cite web |url=https://www.unisupdi.ch/info-generali/ |title=Il benvenuto del direttore |trans-title=Welcome from the director |access-date=4 December 2020 |language=it |website=unisupdi.ch |archive-date=27 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027053328/https://www.unisupdi.ch/info-generali/ |url-status=dead }}
Degrees
The organization has no campus, no professors and no staff, and issues degrees based on life experiences and optional online learning courses, namely Bachelor's,{{cite web |url=http://www.unipsa.ch/politecnico/facolta_scienze_aziendali.html |language=it |access-date=28 August 2014 |title=Facoltà di Scienze Aziendali}} Master's,{{cite web |url=http://www.unipsa.ch/master/master.html |language=it |access-date=28 August 2014 |title=Master a distanza}} and even Doctoral degrees.{{cite web |url=http://www.unipsa.ch/dottorato/dottorato_di_ricerca.html |language=it |access-date=28 August 2014 |title=Dottorato di Ricerca}}
Legal disputes
ISSEA and the Politecnico di studi aziendali of Lugano were also not accredited by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports of Ticino. ISSEA SA has been denied accreditation by the Federal Administrative Court of Switzerland, too.{{cite web |url=http://www.tio.ch/News/Ticino/678740/Vuoi-iscriverti-a-medicina-senza-il-test-di-ammissione-Facile/ |language=it |title=Vuoi iscriverti a medicina senza il test di ammissione? Facile |trans-title=Do you want to avoid the mandatory admission test for medical school? Easy |date=25 April 2012 |access-date=11 June 2017}} The same federal court permanently banned ISSEA and its Politecnico di studi aziendali from the European Erasmus Programme because of their unaccredited status.{{cite web |url=http://www.bvger.ch/publiws/download?decisionId=45c28c60-6993-4e23-bd25-f0381ef4f576 |title=Tribunale amministrativo federale, Sentenza del 13 agosto 2013 |website=Federal Administrative Court of Switzerland |format=PDF |access-date=17 March 2015 |language=it |date=13 August 2013}} Since January 1, 2015, the usage of the words "polytechnic" and/or "university" by unaccredited institutions has been declared illegal by the Canton of Ticino, which is why the Politecnico di Studi Aziendali and ISSEA had to leave Ticino and moved to Roveredo.{{cite web |url=http://www.rsi.ch/news/ticino-e-grigioni-e-insubria/Atenei-sui-generis-nel-mirino-3326345.html |title=Atenei sui generis nel mirino: In Ticino le università sono solo quattro – Chi abusa del nome sarà denunciato penalmente |last=Moles |first=Diego |date=16 December 2014 |access-date=16 January 2015 |language=it |trans-title=Unusual universities in the line of fire: Ticino only has four universities; the false use of the name will be prosecuted}}
In 1993, the Italian Ministry of Education included the Politecnico di studi aziendali in a list of private institutions which are not allowed to issue valid academic qualifications.
In 2007, the Italian Competition Authority convicted ISSEA and Massimo Silvestri in absentia of deceptive advertising.{{cite act |url=https://www.agcm.it/dotcmsdoc/bollettini/21-07.pdf |title=Bollettino |language=it |type=Bulletin |date=11 June 2007 |access-date=2020-12-13 |article=16880 |article-type=Ruling |index=21 |p=45}}
ISSEA used to be a member of the general assembly of EMUNI University so it could receive European public funds, such as €50,000 in 2012 through INPDAP,{{cite web |url=http://www.emuni.si/en/strani/444/Master-I.N.P.D.A.P.-Certificated.html |title=Borse di studio Master INPDAP Certificate |date=30 April 2005 |access-date=11 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808054330/http://www.emuni.si/en/strani/444/Master-I.N.P.D.A.P.-Certificated.html |archive-date=8 August 2012 |language=it }}{{cite web |url=http://www.tio.ch/News/Ticino/Cronaca/1035885/Lauree-sotto-inchiesta-Ci-insegnavano-a-pulire-le-cozze/ |title=Lauree sotto inchiesta: "Ci insegnavano a pulire le cozze" |last=Ilarietti |first=Davide |date=18 June 2015 |access-date=27 August 2015 |language=it |trans-title=Degrees under investigation: «They taught us how to clean mussels»}} although Switzerland is not in the European Union.
In 2016, the Canton of Grisons' parliament asked to stop the company from operating even in the new location of Roveredo.{{cite news |url=http://www.rsi.ch/news/ticino-e-grigioni-e-insubria/Grigioni-università-fantasma-5973100.html |title=Grigioni, università fantasma |date=28 August 2015 |language=it |trans-title=Ghost university in the Grisons' canton |access-date=29 April 2016 |publisher=Radiotelevisione svizzera}} A few months later, the unaccredited school moved to the Canton of Zug.{{cite news |url=http://www.rsi.ch/news/ticino-e-grigioni-e-insubria/Abuso-di-denominazione-7766744.html |title=Abuso di denominazione |date=19 July 2016 |language=it |trans-title=Unauthorized use of protected name |access-date=27 October 2016 |publisher=Radiotelevisione svizzera}} During this period, the organization created a website called SUPDI, which claimed to be a university, very similar to the name SUPSI of a real Swiss university located in Ticino.
In the same year, in the tribunal of the Canton of Ticino, the company was convicted of unauthorized use of protected names ("university", "polytechnic" etc.).
In 2018, a final ruling of the Italian Council of State held that ISSEA SA and all its alleged universities are not recognized in Italy or in Switzerland and their degrees have no value.{{cite act |url=https://www.giustizia-amministrativa.it/portale/pages/istituzionale/visualizza/?nodeRef=&schema=cds&nrg=201206307&nomeFile=201804067_18.html&subDir=Provvedimenti |type=Ruling |index=06849/2018 |date=3 December 2018 |legislature=Council of State (Italy) |language=it |access-date=21 February 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210221134147/https://www.giustizia-amministrativa.it/portale/pages/istituzionale/visualizza/?nodeRef=&schema=cds&nrg=201206307&nomeFile=201804067_18.html&subDir=Provvedimenti |archive-date=21 February 2021}} ISSEA had taken a legal action against the Ministry for University Instruction and Research and against the Ministry of the Interior, which would not let ISSEA create an Italian branch — called "ISSEA Campus Italia" — of the alleged Swiss university. The court stated that ISSEA is not allowed to purport to be an academic institution.
In 2021, a Neapolitan court found out that a student who was going to receive a master's degree from the University of Naples Federico II had a bachelor's degree issued by one of ISSEA's institutions: since the bachelor's degree was invalid, the court revoked his graduate and undergraduate careers and stopped him from defending his thesis.{{cite act |url=https://www.giustizia-amministrativa.it/portale/pages/istituzionale/visualizza/?nodeRef=&schema=tar_na&nrg=201904435&nomeFile=202100305_01.html&subDir=Provvedimenti |type=Ruling |index=0035/2021 |legislature=Regional Administrative Tribunal of Campania |date=15 January 2021 |language=it |access-date=21 February 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210221142215/https://www.giustizia-amministrativa.it/portale/pages/istituzionale/visualizza/?nodeRef=&schema=tar_na&nrg=201904435&nomeFile=202100305_01.html&subDir=Provvedimenti |archive-date=21 February 2021}}
Other names
After the Swiss authorities declared the name "Politecnico di studi aziendali" illegal, the institution's ads started to use different names as well, such as Polotecnico di studi aziendali (only one vowel was changed) or Polo Tecnico di studi aziendali (literally: Technical research center of business studies) www.unipsa.net/www.uni-psa.ch, Unipsa, I.S.S.E.A. sa Scuola Universitaria Privata a Distanza, C.I.S.M.A.D. (Centro Italiano Studi Multidisciplinari a Distanza) www.cismad.it, unisupdi.ch/unipfh.ch or SUPDI—not to be confused with SUPSI, an accredited Swiss university (only one letter has been changed).
An old website called "Private University Consortium" (www.umc-puc.edu),{{cite web |url=http://www.umc-puc.edu:80/ |title=Private University Consortium |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061014015057/http://www.umc-puc.edu/ |archive-date=14 October 2006 |access-date=2 June 2017 }} created in 1999 and deactivated in 2006, also sold degrees from Gibraltar under the name of "Università Mons Calpe", from Colorado under the name of "American Business School LLC", and from Panama under the name of "University Europanamense". The consortium was supposed to be headquartered in the same office as the Politecnico di studi aziendali in Ticino. All the institutions were unaccredited and all the offices no longer exist.{{cite web |url= http://www.cimea.it/files/fileusers/6719_CIMEA_Against%20the%20mills_2010.pdf |title=CIMEA against the mills |access-date=2 June 2017}}{{cite web |url=http://www.cimea.it/files/fileusers/2669_Fabbriche%20titoli%20parte_UQ23_CIMEA%202009.pdf |language=it |title=Fabbriche di titoli |trans-title=Diploma mills |access-date=11 June 2017}}
= Ateneo SUPDI =
SUPDI, also known as Ateneo Supdi (literally: Supdi Athenaeum), was created by Massimo Silvestri in 2018 cloning the website of a real Swiss university named SUPSI. It has an alleged registered office in Baarerstrasse 82 6300 Zug, which is actually a PO box shared with other diploma mills owned by Silvestri. Starting in 2025, it also claims to have a registered office in Geneva. The first websites supdi.ch and unisupdi.ch were later shut down by a court ruling; however, the website is now online again using the new domains unisupdi.education and ateneosupdi.ch. SUPDI also claims to have a branch in San Marino — although the University of the Republic of San Marino is the only recognized institution — and another branch in Milan, Italy in the form of an unaccredited folk high school, according to the websites unigui.it and uni-issea.ch (the latter is now inactive).
= Univolta Università Telematica Privata Alessandro Volta and others =
As of 2017, the institution is also being advertised as Univolta Università Telematica Privata Alessandro Volta (Online Private University Alessandro Volta) www.univolta.ch, using the same address and/or P.O. box in Zug and the same domain name as the Politecnico di Studi Aziendali www.unipsa.ch—whose name has been declared illegal by Swiss authorities—as well as Atena Unitelematica scuola universitaria www.uniatena.ch (Telematic university Athena), Hochschule Nikola Tesla (Nikola Tesla University) www.unitesla.ch/www.uniteslaweb.net, Unitelematica Leonardo da Vinci (Telematic university Leonardo da Vinci) unitelematicadavinci.ch, Unitelematica Ginevra Institut D'études Académiques HEPG www.unihepg.ch. The website www.unipsa.net, which was used by the aforementioned "Polo Tecnico di studi aziendali", was also used by SUPDI.{{cite web |url=https://unipsa.net/ |title=Scuola Universitaria Privata a Distanza | Supdi - |website=unipsa.net |access-date=1 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426113328/https://unipsa.net/ |archive-date=26 April 2022 }}