Ministers in fake degrees saga
DAILY NEWS Reporter, 22nd February 2009 @ 10:49
Eight Senior Cabinet Members and Members of Parliament are among recipients of questionable academic qualifications, particularly Doctorate Degrees (PhDs), from overseas Learning Institutions that are not internationally recognized. Some of the academic credentials are understood to have been obtained through correspondence between 1997 and 2005.
Well informed sources in the academia have told the ‘Daily News' that the institutions which issued the doubtful qualifications include Washington International University based in Hawaii, Commonwealth Open University based in Caicos Virgin Island, Free States University, Ambala University in India and Almeda University, USA. The report comes amid revelations that some academicians, including at least one from Kenya, secured teaching jobs at higher learning institutions in the country using forged PhDs.
The Tanzania Commission of Universities (TCU) recently cautioned Tanzanians to be on maximum alert against the influx of bogus degrees. According to TCU Executive Secretary, Professor Mayunga Nkunya, many Tanzanians are easily trapped by agents of degree mills that are selling them at a negotiable prices starting from 2,000 US dollars (2.6m/-).
"There are so many fake Universities that are increasingly advertising online courses that don't require one to attend classes but their physical addresses can not be traced anywhere. We advise those aspiring to pursue higher studies overseas to contact us first for guidance," said Professor Nkunya.
The applicants should also contact embassies of the countries they intend to study in for guidance. One of the ministers is said have acquired a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and a PhD. concurrently between 2001 and 2003. Another one undertook a Post Graduate Diploma course in 2000-2001 and a PhD course from 2001 to 2003.
According to our sources, there are more than 600 bogus Universities around the world enrolling students using fake addresses and mostly transact online. Dr Mussa Assad from the University of Dar es Salaam, who has been researching on fake Universities around the World, says getting a PhD involves hard work and that bona fide holders of such qualification is distinguished by their knowledge . "To earn a Ph.D., one must accomplish two things.
First is to master a specific subject completely. Second, one must extend the body of knowledge about that subject," he explained. Prof Nkunya said that the ministers and MPs or their employers can bring the credentials to the Commission for verification. "We have no legal powers to make any follow up on the credentials for the time being, until the present Universities Act is amended, hopefully," he said.