Photo credit: © Mike Faherty (cc-by-sa/2.0)
At St Jude’s Free Church of England, Balham, on 23 September 2017, before an invited audience of members of the Central School of Religion, I performed Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier” Sonata.
Author: johnkersey
Educationalist, musician and clergyman.
Private universities in Costa Rica – some observations on legal status and international comparability
According to a newspaper article published in 2012, “Costa Rica’s educational system is continually highlighted as one of the best in Latin America and it continues to produce quality graduates that are rapidly absorbed by private companies and state institutions.” (Tom Rosenberger, “A look at Costa Rica’s University, College, and School System“, Costa Rica Star, 2 May 2012)
Costa Rica is one of a number of Central American countries to have established a relatively large private university sector. As of 2017, the Ministerio de Educación Pública (MEP) included 54 private universities in its list of officially recognized institutions. This compares with a total number of universities in Costa Rica of 64, including 5 public universities and 5 international private universities. It can therefore be seen that the overwhelming majority of Costa Rican universities are private, although the public universities are all large institutions and some of the private universities are small. Since 2000, around 50% of Costa Rican students attend private universities and 50% attend public universities (Source: OECD, “Reviews of National Policies for Education: Education in Costa Rica”, 2017, p.5). Since at least the end of the last century, Costa Rican private universities have also sought to recruit students abroad, targeting both the Hispanic community in the USA and, increasingly, English speaking students seeking to study via distance learning.
Universities in Costa Rica enjoy a high level of autonomy under the Constitution, and this autonomy is more generous for public universities. The public universities are self-governing under the umbrella of the National Council of Rectors (CONARE), which is the principal higher education representative body in Costa Rica. 38 out of the 54 private universities are members of CONARE.
The proposal to permit the official functioning and approval of private universities in Costa Rica was brought forward by CONARE, and given effect by CONARE at its Session on 31 October 1979. By Law No. 6693 of November 27, 1981, published in the Official Gazette, No. 243, dated December 21, 1981, the Consejo Nacional de Enseñanza Superior Universitaria Privada (National Council of Private Higher Education) (CONESUP) was created. Therefore under this law, CONESUP became the statutory government body in charge of regulating and supervising private universities. It is illegal for a private university to operate or enrol students without first having received CONESUP approval. CONESUP’s council includes the Minister of Public Education, and representatives from CONARE, private universities and community colleges, and the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy.
The approval process of a new private university in Costa Rica includes a review of the proposed institution’s facilities, faculty, programmes and establishment, in which the Organic Law of the university (the statutes and regulations by which it exercises its functions) is an important component. CONESUP inspects private universities to ensure that basic standards are maintained. Institutional approval by CONESUP can be suspended or revoked altogether in the event of infringement of its protocols. CONESUP approval is available both to traditional campus-based universities and also to universities that offer education via correspondence or distance learning online. All programmes that are to be offered by a private university in Costa Rica must undergo programmatic approval by CONESUP.
Notwithstanding this, and the strengthening of CONESUP’s authority in 2000 and 2005 respectively, the degree of autonomy extended to private universities in Law No. 6693-81 is still high. Article 8 of that law establishes that “once its operation has been authorized, the private university shall have total liberty to develop its academic activities and curriculum as well as its study plans and programs…” Article 9 of the same body of law determines that “within the terms of this law, the private universities as institutions of superior education shall enjoy total liberty with regard to the curriculum, scientific research and the diffusion of culture…” [Source: Official translation of document from Spanish to English by Dora O. De Guillén, Official Translator of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Costa Rica, authenticated by stamp of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs].
In 1999, Costa Rica established the Sistema Nacional de Acreditación de la Educación Superior (National System of Accreditation) (SINAES). SINAES is a voluntary accreditation body for both public and private university degree programmes. SINAES accredits only programmes, not institutions. As of 2015, only 12% (140 out of 1,165) of the degree programmes that are offered legally in Costa Rica have been accredited by SINAES, with 9% of private university and 15% of public university programmes being so accredited. In the Costa Rican civil service, preferential treatment is given to holders of SINAES-accredited degrees. Elsewhere, the value of SINAES accreditation is determined by the market, and its low take-up suggests that for the majority of Costa Rican universities and their students, it is not seen as significant.
The degrees that a private university may grant are established in principle under its Organic Law and Regulations which are part of its foundation documents. For example, the Organic Law and Regulations of the Universidad Empresarial de Costa Rica, a private university approved by CONESUP since 5 November 1997, states in its first chapter:
“Article 45: The University shall grant the degrees Bachelor, Graduate Degree (Licenciatura), Master, Professional Specialization and Doctor. Article 46: In order to obtain the academic degree of Bachelor, it is required to have passed a minimum of 120 credits and a maximum of 144, for the Graduate Degree 30 to 36 additional credits of those required for the Bachelor’s degree need to have been passed when the career includes such degree. Otherwise, the student must pass a minimum of 150 and a maximum of 180 credits. For the Master’s degree, a minimum of 180 and a maximum of 192 or 60 to 72 additional credits of those required for the Bachelor’s degree must have been passed. For the Doctor’s degree, a minimum of 100 credits and a maximum of 120 additional credits of those required for the Bachelor’s degree need to have been passed. For the Professional Specialization, the necessary credits are not defined but ¡t is required to possess the academic Graduate Degree (Licenciatura).” [Source: Official translation of document from Spanish to English by Dora O. De Guillén, Official Translator of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Costa Rica, authenticated by stamp of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs].
It is important to clarify that CONESUP’s approval of degree programmes extends only to those programmes which are offered in Costa Rica itself. The question of internationally-offered programmes and those offered in collaboration between private Costa Rican universities and overseas universities was dealt with by CONESUP in its official Circular Number 270-98-CONESUP of April 28, 1998. In that document, CONESUP states “In cases where the academic offer is being developed outside of the national territory CONESUP does not have any authority whatsoever.” [Source: Official translation of document from Spanish to English by Dora O. De Guillén, Official Translator of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Costa Rica, authenticated by stamp of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs]. Therefore such programmes are not eligible for CONESUP programmatic approval. The degrees that result from them are still, however, issued in Costa Rica under the legal authority bestowed on the universities by virtue of their foundation and the law on the granting of degrees.
Comparability considerations
In the majority of countries of the world, government agencies are responsible for the accreditation and approval processes of private higher education providers. Costa Rica conforms to this pattern. The unusual features in the Costa Rican system are firstly that the numerical majority of universities are private rather than public, and secondly that the regulatory system allows a high degree of freedom to all universities, mandating basic standards as compulsory under the law, and offering a further voluntary programmatic accreditation scheme for those who wish to participate in it.
The low take-up of the SINAES scheme even among the public universities means that while a SINAES-accredited degree can be taken to be accredited under a quality scheme that meets international standards, a non-SINAES-accredited degree cannot be dismissed out of hand without dismissing the vast majority of Costa Rican degrees, both public and private. Nor would it be reasonable to refer to non-SINAES-accredited degrees as “unaccredited” in a general sense, since such degrees not only are part of a governmental regulatory framework but are issued in full accordance with Costa Rican law and have full validity as such within that country.
In determining the comparability of such awards, it is necessary to have reference to reliable and established international sources that deal with the recognition of international credentials. One of the most useful of these sources is the European Area of Recognition Manual, published by a consortium consisting of a number of national recognition bodies from European Union member states.
The first question to ask is whether a private Costa Rican university can meet the definition of a recognized institution established by the Manual. This definition is set out as follows:
“Recognition refers to the official status granted by national legislation. Higher education is governed by national legislation in most countries. Laws on higher education lay down the framework for the system as a whole, stipulate general criteria that have to be met, define policies and procedures that should be in place and bestow official, degree-granting authority on institutions, both public and private. Institutions that fulfil the requirements set in national legislation and have official degree-granting authority are considered to be recognised, though a different term may be used.” (p.21)
In Costa Rica, private universities are granted official status by national legislation. CONESUP as a mandated government body under such national legislation approves private universities and bestows official degree-granting authority through this act of approval. Therefore, a private Costa Rican university meets the definition of a recognized institution.
Next, we should consider the more complex matter of whether such institutions can be considered both recognized and accredited. Here the Manual states the following:
“Recognition/accreditation of an institution and recognition/accreditation of a programme.
Generally qualifications awarded by recognised institutions are considered to be recognised. However, in some countries recognition/accreditation of a programme is separate from the recognition/accreditation of an institution. In other words, it is possible for recognised institutions to offer programmes that are not officially recognised and for non-recognised institutions to offer recognised programmes.” (ibid.)
We have established that Costa Rican private universities are recognized institutions, and therefore the presumption in the first sentence above applies, that “qualifications awarded by recognised institutions are considered to be recognised”. Notwithstanding this, we should also consider the rest of the paragraph. It is not possible for institutions that are not officially recognized to offer recognized programmes in Costa Rica, and therefore this provision does not apply. But programmatic accreditation does exist in Costa Rica. In the case of private university programmes offered within Costa Rican territory, this takes the form of compulsory approval by CONESUP either with or without additional voluntary accreditation by SINAES. For such programmes offered outside Costa Rican territory, the option of programmatic approval/accreditation is not available.
In order to interpret this correctly, we should consider the matter in context. The legal status of the degree awarded is exactly the same, whether it is accredited by SINAES or not, and whether (for private institutions) the programme is internally delivered and thus CONESUP-approved, or externally delivered and thus ineligible for CONESUP approval. All are Costa Rican degrees issued by government-recognized universities.
Moreover, degrees issued by Costa Rican public universities that are not accredited by SINAES are routinely considered to be equivalent to accredited degrees from other countries; indeed, as the article quoted in our opening paragraph maintains, Costa Rica’s system of education is “continually highlighted as one of the best in Latin America”. And the Manual states, “No distinction should be made between qualifications or periods of study earned at private versus public institutions, as long as the private institution is recognised and/or accredited by competent authorities.” (p. 22).
The Manual offers an example of how to treat a degree from an institution that is recognized but where there is no accreditation system implemented. Note that while SINAES is extant in Costa Rica, its purely voluntary nature means that it is not “implemented” in the sense the Manual uses that term, since it defines accreditation as effectively a compulsory process (p. 21).
“Example 2
An applicant seeks recognition of his master degree in law. This qualification was awarded by a recognised higher education institution listed on the website of the Ministry of Education. Since an accreditation system was not implemented in the country where the degree was obtained, neither the institution nor the programme was accredited. Both the institution and the programme were established in line with the national legislation on higher education. In this case the competent recognition authority should trust that the awarded qualification represents an accepted level of education and recognise it accordingly.” (p. 22)
Therefore, the basis of recognition in this case should be the recognized status of the university, where both institutions and programmes are established in line with the national legislation on higher education. That will be the case with all Costa Rican university degrees, both public and private, that are awarded by recognized universities.
Having established that such awards are recognized, the exact equivalency of any award will then depend upon a precise analysis, and the comparison of its requirements and contents to recognized awards in the system of education to which comparability is sought.
Key Sources
- Website of CONESUP: http://www.mep.go.cr/conesup
- OECD, Education in Costa Rica, Reviews of National Policies for Education, Paris, OECD Publishing, 2017
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264277335-en - European Area of Recognition Manual: Practical Guidelines for Fair Recognition of Qualifications; Nuffic, 2012
http://www.eurorecognition.eu/manual/ear_manual_v_1.0.pdf - Alexia Villalobos de Camp, NAFSA Guide to Educational Systems Around the World: Costa Rica, NAFSA, 2009
Note
Previously, this article stated that all Costa Rican universities were listed in the International Association of Universities/UNESCO World Higher Education Handbook (now Database). This was the case up to mid-2021, when the policy of that database changed to include only SINAES-accredited institutions. As of December 2021, this has created a significant anomaly, whereby a number of private institutions are authorized by CONESUP to operate as universities (and are listed as such on the CONESUP website) but have been delisted by the Database regardless of their legal status as government-authorized universities and the still-voluntary nature of SINAES accreditation. It is difficult to see the change in policy in respect of the Database as other than politically-motivated.
Honours and awards: Perpetuum of the Ordine Venerabile della Venerabile Confraternita di Maria Ss.ma del Buonconsiglio della Buona Morte e Misericordia, Italy
The Venerabile Confraternita (o Compagnia) detta del Buonconsiglio di Città di Castello and the OR.VEN. – Ordine Venerabile della Venerabile Confraternita di Maria Ss.ma del Buonconsiglio della Buona Morte e 
Misericordia, Città di Castello, Italy (Order of the Venerable Confraternity (or Company), known as of (Our Lady of) Good Counsel of Good Death and Mercy of Città di Castello) is a chivalric and Christian brotherhood that can trace its origins to the last years of the first millennium (990-999 A.D.) and in its present form dates to 1230, making it probably the oldest religious brotherhood in continuous existence today. The Order is based at Città di Castello (Province of Perugia) where it has its own Magistral Church, and is governed by a Grand Prior (Grand Master). I have had the honour to be appointed a Perpetuum (Grand Cross) of the Order, its highest rank.
>>Further information (in Italian)
>>More information
>>History
>>Photographs of the Order
>>The Magistral Church of the Order
>>The Magistral Church (further information)
>>Statutes of the Order
>>Press article on the Order (in Italian)
Honours and awards: Knightly Order of St George the Martyr and Honorary Colonel in the Hungarian National Guard
The Order of St George traces its history to its foundation as a knightly fraternity in 1326 by King Károly Róbert of Hungary. In post-communist Hungary, chivalric traditions were revived, and in 1991, Sándor Hadházy, mayor of Visegrád, with other leading citizens, established a cultural association in continuation of the objects of the Order that carried out its first investiture of knights the following year. The Order swiftly became established in Hungary with many prominent members. In 1994, Frigyes Kahler (English: Frederick Kahler), the senior judge in Hungary, succeeded as Grand Master. The Ceremony in St Stephen’s Basilica, Budapest to install him was attended by the President’s representative, the Cardinal Primate and the senior Protestant bishop, as well as numerous politicians. Dr Kahler served until 1997 when he was succeeded by Colonel László Erdős.
In 2000, a division in the Order occurred as a result of a financial dispute between the Grand Magistry and the British Grand Priory under General János Daniel vitez Karaszy-Kulin as Grand Prior. General Karaszy-Kulin recalled that he had been faced with demands from the Grand Magistry to raise the membership fee by 500% and transfer 50% of the assets of the British Grand Priory to the Grand Magistry. He objected that this was unjust and in violation of the spirit of the Order. Holding that his continuation of the Order was as its legitimate successor, General Karaszy-Kulin duly took office as Grand Master and renamed it as the International Knightly Order of St George. Frigyes Kahler served as one of his Deputy Grand Masters.
General vitez János Karaszy-Kulin (right) with President of Hungary Ferenc Mádl
General vitez János Karaszy-Kulin was one of the most highly-decorated officers in the Hungarian armed forces, and was revered as one of the heroes of the Second World War and of the 1956 uprising, in which his valour earned him the highest military distinctions. It also earned him a death sentence under the Communist régime and forty years in exile under an assumed name in England.
Upon the fall of communism he was able to resume his rightful place and was promoted to the rank of Major General of the Hungarian Air Force. He was received by the Hungarian President and named a Hero of the Hungarian People. He held many chivalric distinctions and was a Knight Grand Cross and Grand Officer of Merit of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus (Paris Obedience) and a Knight of the Order of the Vitez.
The Order defined its aims as to assist the needy, both mentally and materially, and to uphold the Chivalric Code of Prowess, Justice, Loyalty, Defense, Courage, Faith and Humility. Members were charged with the continuation of the traditions instituted by the medieval Order. They must provide a charitable service to humanity, support the underprivileged, hospitals, hospices, orphanages, homes for the elderly and other worthy institutions. They must reward the services rendered to humanity in all fields of human achievement.
This was reflected in an energetic programme of charitable work. In the war-torn areas of Croatia, Romania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Czechoslovakia and Hungary the Order shipped on a regular basis 220 tons of second-hand clothing, bedding, food, hospital equipment including X-ray machines, and other medical equipment to a value of US$15 million to the aid of the needy in Eastern Europe.
The principal project of the first decade of the twenty-first century was the reconstruction and furnishing of a derelict building as a home for the elderly in Nyírgelse in the north-east of Hungary. The Hungarian Government pledged to match donations made by the Order in the ratio of 2:1. A special appeal was organized under the patronage of Rt Hon Lord Taylor of Blackburn, who was a Grand Cross of the Order of St George, and the £20,000 needed to complete the project was raised within two years. As a result, the St George’s Home was completed on schedule and opened by the Grand Master and his wife, Colonel Dame Iris, on 20 August 2002. It provided accommodation to a modern standard for sixteen elderly people in need, as well as housing a day centre, which served the wider community of older people in this deprived area.
The Order under General János Karaszy-Kulin had as its Spiritual Protector the Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, and held its annual investiture in Rochester Cathedral. A representative of the Hungarian Embassy usually attended in an official capacity. As well as Hungary and the United Kingdom, the Order established priories in Poland, the Netherlands, Serbia, and Canada. György Keller, the Grand Prior of Hungary and Deputy Grand Master, was also Major-General and Vice-President of the Hungarian National Guard, bringing about a close connection between the Hungarian National Guard and the Order.
The Hungarian National Guard (Magyar Köztársaság Nemzetör Gárda), under the command of the late General Professor Béla Király, was the historic Hungarian reserve force, originally founded in 1848, that mobilised against the Soviet invaders in 1956. General János Karaszy-Kulin was Commander-in-Chief of the Hungarian National Guard (Overseas), and a number of senior members of the Order of St George received honorary military rank in the Hungarian National Guard as a result.
I met General János Karaszy-Kulin through our common involvement with the Central School of Religion, of which he was an honorand and Fellow. We quickly developed a friendship and I visited him and his wife Dame Iris on a number of occasions at his home in Rochester. He appointed me to an honorary commission of Major in the Hungarian National Guard in 2002.
At the General’s invitation, I was admitted as a Knight of the Order of St George at the investiture in Rochester Cathedral in 2003.
At the investiture in 2004, I was promoted to Knight Commander.
I was awarded the Medal of the Anniversary of the 1956 Revolution of the Hungarian National Guard by the General in the same year.
In addition, I received the Grand Star of the Hungarian National Guard, its highest honour, which was awarded with the approval of the Hungarian Ministry of Defence. This was presented by the General at the dinner following the Order’s investiture at the King’s School Rochester. It carries the postnominal letters MKNL (the postnominal MKN signifies a member of the Hungarian National Guard, and the addition of the L represents the Grand Star).
In 2005, I was promoted by the General to the honorary rank of Colonel in the Hungarian National Guard.
The General repeatedly asked me to become involved in the government of the Order of St George, but I declined his offers. The Order had been registered as a charity in England and Wales, but the committee nature of charitable governance did not sit well with the General, whose leadership style was that of military command. Several unsuccessful appointments to senior positions had resulted in the breakdown not only of working relationships but also of personal friendships. I considered it vital that I should preserve my friendship with the General, and avoid being led into any situation of potential conflict.
Moreover, the Order was, in those days, comprised of an extremely interesting and varied group of people, meaning that the investitures and other events were not merely ceremonial occasions but also social gatherings of great warmth and fellowship. Ken Martin, who was a Deputy Grand Master, became a good friend and I regularly visited him at his home in Cambridge. He was Dean of a leading sixth-form college there, and at their annual Advent service of Nine Lessons and Carols (which was held in the chapel of St John’s College), the General and several senior members of the Order were regularly among the guests. I greatly enjoyed this occasion, which was always well-organized and musically of a high standard.
When I was involved in the foundation of Claremont International University (Seychelles) the General and Dame Iris graciously agreed to serve as joint Chancellors and were strongly supportive of the University’s aims and ethos. The General was also appointed a Fellow of the Institute of Arts and Letters (London) and made a number of successful nominations to the Fellowship.
The General was happy to hear of my ordination and episcopal consecration, and at the investiture at Rochester Cathedral in 2007, I was invited to join the other clergy in the sanctuary.
In October 2008, the General, who had been in poor health for some years, died. At his memorial service in Rochester Cathedral, my obituary for him was read by his son. In one of our last meetings, he had discussed his plans and wishes for the future of the Order, and also said that he wished to promote me to Grand Cross.
It was not long before the Order was plunged into a period of conflict and strife. At the conclusion of this, two bodies emerged tracing their common origin to the Order as it had been constituted under the General. Both are registered charities and endeavour to continue the Order’s aims and charitable mission.
The duly elected Grand Master, Tadeusz Kaczor, who had been the Order’s Grand Prior of Poland, presided over what became known as the Knightly Order of St George the Martyr, whose English representation was based in Cambridge and which had priories in Hungary and other countries in Europe. At its investiture held at Great St Mary’s in 2017, I was promoted to Grand Cross of the Order.
Honours and awards: Academical Knight of Verbano of the Ordine Accademico Internazionale “Greci-Marino” – Ordine Accademico del Verbano
I have been honoured with the award of Academical Knight of Verbano “for high cultural merits” by the Ordine Accademico Internazionale “Greci-Marino” – Ordine Accademico del Verbano, Italy.
>>Profile of the Accademia
>>Further information: page 1; page 2
Honours and awards: Byzantine Patrician from the Sovereign House of Dalmatia (Val d’Ors)
I have been honoured with the title of Byzantine Patrician from Don Orazio Giuseppe Mezzetti, Prince of Zela and Head of the Sovereign House of Dalmatia (Val d’Ors).
Honours and awards: Academic Doctor honoris causa in Religion from the International Academy of St George
The International Academy of Saint George is incorporated in the State of Wyoming, USA. The Academy offers advanced studies in History, Heraldry, Chivalry and Ecumenical Religion. I have been honoured by the Academy with the award of Academic Doctor honoris causa in Religion.
Honours and awards: Prince of the Royal Principality of the Upper Region of Hiran, Royal House Shikal, Somalia
I have had the honour to be created a Prince of the Royal Principality of the Upper Region of Hiran, Royal House Shikal, Somalia. The Head of the Royal House Shikal is H.E. and H.R.H. the Ambassador, Federal, Special Police and Military Colonel (G.di F.), Royal Prince Professor Dr Ali M. (Moallim) Hussen, son of the late traditional King of the Hiran Region of Somalia, H.R.H. the Prince Moallim Hussen, descendant of the Sultanate of Mudaffar.
Prince Ali M. Hussen was Minister of Justice for the Horn of Africa from 1965 to 1967. He served as Somalian Ambassador to the the Holy See/Vatican City during the incumbency of President Major-General Mohamed Siad Barre (1990) and subsequently became Ambassador of the Transitional National Government of Somalia for Italy. Prince Ali was Shaykh/Sheik of Tariqah Qadiriyyah of Sufism, and President from 1981 to August 2003 (when he retired due to health problems) of the Associazione Musulmani Italiani (A.M.I./Association of Italian Muslims (established in Naples in 1982 and heir of the Associazione Musulmana del Littorio, Muslim Association of Littorio (Fasces), co-founded by H.R.H. Prince Moallim Hussen in 1937). Prince Ali was also an Islamic Judge (Qadi) and Professor of Islam, from 1970, by a Decree of the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Shaykh Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz.
Honours and awards: Second Class Medal and title of Datu Panglima in the Supreme Order of Aranan
The Head of the Royal House of Maharaja Adinda Aranan, H.R.H. Datu Muhammidul’ Ali Al-Mahmun Arunan, PBMM etc. has bestowed the Second Class Medal and title of Datu Panglima in the Supreme Order of Aranan upon me. This follows my earlier appointment as Datu Paduka in the Grand Order of Sultan Bantilan Muizuddin in 2016.
The Royal House is descended from Sultan Bantilan Muizuddin, who ruled as Sultan of Sulu between 1748 and 1763. The Sultanate of Sulu includes parts of the present-day Philippines and Brunei, and reigned between 1405 and 1915.
Trump and liberty
On 18 February 2017, I spoke at the inaugural meeting of the Ludwig von Mises Institute UK in London. This is the text of my speech.
When Donald Trump was mounting his presidential campaign, nothing he said struck me as more significant than his pledge that he would drain the swamp. By this phrase, President Trump has signified several things. Immediately, he has announced ethics reform for Washington lobbyists. But more generally, he has embarked on a course of action that those interested in liberty, and specifically those who believe that the modern bureaucratic state is an obstacle to liberty, should take a close interest in.
Much has been made of President Trump’s status as an outsider. No-one has exploited that status more successfully than he has himself. He is not a politician, but an anti-politician. As such, he has established himself with great vigour and courage as a crusader on behalf of the ordinary voter and as an opponent of the Washington machine. Indeed, that machine has since expanded to pit him against forces that arguably include the whole of the Federal government of the United States.
President Trump is not interested in doing things the way the political and civil service establishment are used to doing them. He has established that this is not, for him, an effective way to achieve his aims. As a businessman, he wants to run the United States of America like a business. For him, that means that he as the CEO sets out the overall principle and vision, others develop strategy based on this, and then further down the hierarchy others yet are charged with the practical enaction of that strategy.
Those of us who are interested in liberty are likely to agree that the elimination of the modern state is a development that would undoubtedly lead to greater freedom for society, for business and for individuals. It is the state that seeks to regulate activity that could and should be the subject of private contract solely so that it can extract profit from it and preserve its own favoured interests. It is the state that takes from the citizen the money that he has earned by force in the form of taxation. It is the state that represents the coalition of powerful vested interests and lobbies who with justification believe that it is they, not the ordinary voter, who own government. In electing President Trump, the people of America have served notice on the state that they will not any longer see those vested interests prosper at their expense, and that they will no longer put up with their public relations justifications for their failure and underperformance. They, like President Trump, have told those bodies “you’re fired”.
I do not suppose that President Trump is a libertarian in that he espouses any given libertarian theorist or that he is advised by particular libertarian groups, although it is heartening to see that some libertarians are certainly playing advisory roles in his administration. I certainly do not think he would have any time for the Libertarian Party as represented so abjectly by Gary Johnson. But I do see in his plans and policies a good deal that was prefigured by Dr Ron Paul in his memorable candidacy in the last Presidential election. President Trump’s political philosophy is not driven by theory but by functionality, and in that respect it is a philosophy of business. He has the capacity to envision an end result and articulate this as an accessible vision. The question of how we get to that end result is not so much inchoate as subject to as many changes of plan as are necessary in the process. One thing that liberals find so hard to grasp about President Trump is that he is not about process but about product. The state, by contrast, must take the opposite view if it is continually to perpetuate and expand itself.
When President Trump announced a hiring freeze for the federal government; when he took on the bureaucrats and their unions; when he effectively took a scalpel to the heart of the state, I was greatly heartened. Here is the first Western leader in living memory, and the first American president since Ronald Reagan, who has actively tried to shrink the state and who has dared take on those who believed the President was their man, that their roles meant that he was the leader of their club and shared their outlook and interests. President Trump has wasted no time in telling them that his and their interests no longer coincide and that their days in power are coming to an end. They call him a loose cannon; they call him unpredictable and inconsistent. They can call him what they like; if they lose their battle with him – and I believe they will – then they are finished.
For years in the United States, powerful vested interests have dominated a number of sectors of government. My own particular interest is education, and I have consulted on educational issues for law firms in the United States for the past eleven years. During that time I have seen every state in the United States pass laws restricting the provision of higher education in favour of the accreditation lobby, despite independent studies showing that the accreditation process does little or nothing to assure quality in education or do anything save promote protectionism and add to the eye-watering costs of education for the consumer. The accreditation lobby represents the state universities above all, and it represents a standardized educational product. For those of us who believe that to standardize education is to reduce it to mere training, the process by which the accreditation lobby has exerted a stranglehold upon legislators to eliminate any competition to their product is an example of precisely what President Trump has been elected to office to deal with. We need him to look at protectionist legislation like this and to put choice and responsibility back into the hands of employers and the public.
A number of President Trump’s appointments give some degree of confidence. The determination to appoint outsiders is likely to be accompanied with a mission statement that those outsiders are not going to turn native. They are there to hire, fire and bring about radical reform. If they succeed, they will transform the United States into a country that is, for its citizens, uniquely equipped to tackle globalized complex markets through business structures of unparalleled flexibility. If the United States is not yet the land of the free, it is without question that it has become, at least in part, the home of the brave.
Honours and awards: Academician of Honor of the Norman Academy
I have been honoured by the Norman Academy with an appointment as Academician of Honor.
The Norman Academy is incorporated in the State of Florida, USA, and is a non-profit association concerned with Arts, Letters, Humanities and Human Rights. It is active in the United States, Italy and The Gambia, where the President, H.E. Dr Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh, is Honorary Chairman of the Norman Academy. On April 29, 2003, the Norman Academy was recognized by the Government of the Republic of The Gambia as a Moral Entity of Public Utility and of High Culture, with decree no. 246/2003 issued by the Ministry of Justice.
Honours and awards: Datu Paduka from the Royal House of Maharaja Adinda Aranan
The Head of the Royal House of Maharaja Adinda Aranan, H.R.H. Datu Muhammidul’ Ali Al-Mahmun Arunan, PBMM etc. has bestowed the title of Datu Paduka in the Grand Order of Sultan Bantilan Muizuddin upon me. The Royal House is descended from Sultan Bantilan Muizuddin, who ruled as Sultan of Sulu between 1748 and 1763. The Sultanate of Sulu includes parts of the present-day Philippines and Brunei, and reigned between 1405 and 1915.
Honours and Awards: Honorary Academician of the Accademia Tiberina già Pontificia
I have been honoured to have been admitted as a Pontifical Academician, becoming an Honorary Academician of the Pontificia Accademia Tiberina in Rome, Italy. The distinction of Honorary Academician is the highest award of the Accademia.
The Accademia Tiberina was founded in 1813 and received official recognition from the Sacred Congregation of Studies under Pope Leo XII in 1825. Already in 1816, the Papal States had granted the Accademia the right in perpetuity to display on its door the coat of arms of the Senate and the Roman people. In 1878 the Accademia was given permanent hospitality in the palazzo of the Cancelleria Apostolica by Pope Leo XIII.
The Accademia counts five popes among its distinguished past membership: Pius VIII, Gregory XVI, Pius IX, Leo XIII, and Pius XII, and numerous Cardinals of the Catholic Church. Among its many other distinguished members are the composers Liszt, Bellini, Rossini and Respighi, the inventor Marconi and the chemist Marie Curie.
The Accademia has also honoured Eastern Catholic prelates, including the Patriarchs of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and the Syrian Catholic Church. During the 1930s, as a means of improving relations between the Holy See and the Abbey-Principality of San Luigi, the Duc d’Allery de Bourbon, who was a member of the Camerier Secret of the Pope, arranged for Prince Edmond I de San Luigi to be admitted an Academician of the Accademia Tiberina. My present appointment as his successor some eighty years on stands as testament to continued friendly relations with Rome.
Honours and awards: Honorary Academician of the Academy Project Man, Wyoming, USA
The “Academy Project Man” (Accademia Progetto Uomo), is incorporated in the State of Wyoming, USA, and also based in Rome, Italy. Its activities include the organization of conferences and the conferral of prizes for humanitarian work. I have been honoured by the Academy with the distinction of Honorary Academician.
Honours and awards: Certificate of Philanthropic Merit and Honorary Life Member of the Centro di Bioetica NASTI
I have been honoured by the Nobile Accademia di Santa Teodora Imperatrice (NASTI), Rome, Italy. The Accademia is recognized as a subject of international law by the Italian government and since 1942 has been recognized as a sodality of the faithful by the Archdiocese of Capua of the Roman Catholic Church.
Honours and awards: National Delegate for England, Member of Honour and Certificate of Merit of the Centre of Bioethics and Human Rights of the International University SAADAUD, Somalia
The International University SAADAUD was founded in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1980, by H.E. and H.R.H. the Ambassador, Federal, Special Police and Military Colonel (G.di F.), Royal Prince Professor Dr Ali M. (Moallim) Hussen, son of the late traditional King of the Hiran Region of Somalia, H.R.H. the Prince Moallim Hussen, descendant of the Sultanate of Mudaffar. Prince Ali became its first Rector. The University was officially registered and recognized by the Government of Somalia. The Centre of Bioethics and Human Rights was established by Rectoral Decree in 2006. Prince Ali M. Hussen was Minister of Justice for the Horn of Africa from 1965 to 1967. He served as Somalian Ambassador to the the Holy See/Vatican City during the incumbency of President Major-General Mohamed Siad Barre (1990) and subsequently became Ambassador of the Transitional National Government of Somalia for Italy. Prince Ali was Shaykh/Sheik of Tariqah Qadiriyyah of Sufism, and President from 1981 to August 2003 (when he retired due to health problems) of the Associazione Musulmani Italiani (A.M.I./Association of Italian Muslims (established in Naples in 1982 and heir of the Associazione Musulmana del Littorio, Muslim Association of Littorio (Fasces), co-founded by H.R.H. Prince Moallim HUSSEN in 1937). Prince Ali was also an Islamic Judge (Qadi) and Professor of Islam, from 1970, by a Decree of the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Shaykh Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz.
Honours and awards: Academic Grand Cross, Professor Emeritus in Sacred Music and National Delegate for England of the J.S. Bach Academy of Music, Arts, Letters and Sciences
The J.S. Bach Academy was initially established in Australia. The Academy is a cultural and educational institution that honours the example of J.S. Bach (1685-1750) as a composer and executant musician of genius; a distinguished pedagogue, an intellect of the highest order and a polymathic artist. From the outset its activities have centred not only upon music but on endeavour in other areas such as literature and the sciences. As such, the Academy stands against the fragmentation of human knowledge and promotes unity and interdisciplinary endeavour.
I have served as International Executive Vice-President and International Musical Director of the Academy and also received other awards from the Academy in 2016.
Honours and awards: National Delegate for England, Member of Honour, Certificate of Appreciation from the Moscow University “Sancti Nicolai”
I have been honoured with appointments as National Delegate for England and Member of Honour, and with a Certificate of Appreciation, by the International Centre of Bioethics of the Moscow University “Sancti Nicolai”. The University is a free university of higher studies and was authorized by decree of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy of 4 November 1943, no. 158. It is further recognized by Sentenza Internazionale of the Corte Suprema di Giustizia Arbitrale di Bari of 5 February 2016, published in the Bollettino Ufficiale della Regione Puglia, n. 36 of 23 March 2017. The Supreme Rector is HRH Prof. Antonio Tiberio di Dobrynia.
Honours and awards: Professor Emeritus in Music and Education, Sacred Theology, and Moral Philosophy, National Delegate and Honorary Master of Science in Bioethics from the ASAM University, Italy
I have received the honorary degree of Master of Science in Bioethics from the A.S.A.M. University in Rome, Italy. The basis of the award is “for Life Experience and Humanitarian Merits”. I have also been appointed as a Professor Emeritus in Music and Education, Sacred Theology and Moral Philosophy of the University, and as National Delegate for Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The A.S.A.M. University (having the Motto: “Non scholae, sed vitae discimus” (We are not learning for the School but for Life”, Lucius Annaeus SENECA, “Epistulae Morales”, 106) is a non-profit and pro-life private institute of High Culture (originating for the Study and Practice of Martial Arts, for example Shaolin Kung Fu Wu Shu and for Oriental Studies; in fact A.S.A.M. is an acronym of “Accademia Superiore di Arti Marziali”, Superior Academy of Martial Arts), promoting Human and Animals Rights and Bioethics, on the model of the Popular Universities, registered in Rome, Italy, since 1996.
The University is a free and private institute of culture with university character, operating under private law. The diplomas and titles of the University are awarded on a strictly private basis in accordance with Italian and international law.
It is accredited and recognized by (amongst others) the Libera Università Leonardo da Vinci (Free University Leonardo da Vinci), Rome, the International University Saadaud, Somalia, and the Anglican Association of Colleges and Schools, and is affiliated to the I.B.A.M./Indian Board of Alternative Medicines, Calcutta (India). It has the status of meritorious twin partner to the Imperiale Accademia di Russia/Moscow University “Sancti Nicolai”. It is a Charter Member of the International Association of Martial Arts and Oriental Medicine, Texas, U.S.A.
Honours and awards: Imperial Byzantine Amorian Dynasty
I have received a number of honours from my cousin the Head of the Imperial Byzantine Amorian Dynasty (Amoroso d’Aragona). The dynasty was fully recognized by judgments of the Italian courts (under King Victor Emmanuel III) in 1945.
>>Information about the history and legal conformation of rights of the dynasty of Amoroso d’Aragona (Studio Legale di Diritti Nobiliare)
I have been appointed a Privy Counsellor, Honorary Family Member, Noble and Peer of the Imperial Byzantine Amorian Dynasty. As such, by right of family membership and the family laws of 1522, I am a Knight Grand Cross of Honour (thereby of Justice) in the Sacro Imperiale Ordine Costantiniano Nemagnico di Santo Stefano of the Imperial e Real Casa Capone Nemagna Paleologo, and Count Palatine (cf. judgement of 18 July 1945 (Luogotenenza del Regno), Tribunale Civile di Napoli, Quarta Sezione, filed on July 28, 1945 and registered in Naples, Office of Judicial Acts, on July 30, 1945: section 4).
I have received the titles of Prince of the Holy Roman Empire (in the Imperial Byzantine Amorian Dynasty), Duke of Synnada, Marquis of Tiberiopolis and San Giovanni d’Acri, Count of Flaviopolis and San Giovanni d’Acri, Count Palatine of the Phrygian Dynasty of Amorio, and Baron of San Giovanni d’Acri; the Hereditary Grand Cross of the Ordine Internazionale delle Legion d’Onore dell’Immacolata, Hereditary Knight of Justice of the Serenissimo Militare (e Nobiliare) Ordine di San Marco, Hereditary Grand Cross of Justice with Collar of the Order of the Knights of St Catherine of Sinai, Hereditary Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacro Sovrano Imperiale Militare Ordine Costantiniano di San Giorgio della Milizia Aurata d’Oriente della Imperiale e Real Casa Lascaris Ventimiglia Valperga Sanmartino, Hereditary Grand Collar of Justice of the Sovrano Costantiniano Ordine di San Giorgio, già detto Ordine Costantiniano-Amoriano dei Cavalieri Aurati d’Oriente (Dinastico d’ Amorio); Hereditary Grand Collar of Justice of the Ordine Militare et Ospitaliere di San Giovanni d’Acri e San Tommaso; Hereditary Grand Collar of Justice of the Ordine Militare e Ospedaliero di Santa Maria di Betlemme; Hereditary Grand Collar of Justice of the (Ordine del) Cingolo – alias Cingolo Militare (Dinastico d’Amorio), and (through the succession from the late Prince Pierre Pasleau de Charnay et Surmont) Hereditary Grand Collar of Justice of the Ordre Équestre de Saint George de Bourgogne, together with numerous armigerous rights.
The Head of the Imperial House has graciously accepted a number of honours conferred by me in my capacity as Head of the Royal House Polanie-Patrikios.
Professor John Kersey 
