Tue, 01 Aug 2017 12:52:23 +0000
By MUKOSELA KASALWE
AFTER paying USD 5, 500 for a two day seminar at a luxurious Dubai hotel, UPND vice president for administration, Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba got his honorary doctorate degree.
The honorary doctorate degree offered to Mr Mwamba, popularly known as GBM, was also offered to other prominent personalities and entrepreneurs in Zambia.
Early in April, the London Graduate School sent invitations to various personalities to attend the Dubai leadership summit and to receive an honorary doctorate degree as part of the package.
According to the invitation, the theme of the seminar was “Corporate Social Responsibility for Leaders and Managers” and was scheduled for July 26 – 28 at Raintree Hotel, Rolla Street, Bur, Dubai.
The invitation letters were posted from Nigeria for the seminar in Dubai by a London-based university.
The $5,500 seminar fee covered course materials, tea, lunch and refreshments only.
The invitation also indicates, “that as part of the activities lined up to celebrate and challenge leaders like you, a selected number of distinguished personalities who will accept to attend and participate in the Dubai Leadership Summit, have been nominated to receive the Honorary Degree of the Commonwealth University .’’
The invitation said the persons selected were recognised for their achievements and contributions but requested the successful candidates to send their profile highlighting their contributions to assist the Planning Committee and Awards Committee.
‘‘If this invitation to the summit and the nominations for the ward are both acceptable to you, please send us an email to indicate your acceptance or call our Director of Programmes,’’ reads the letter in part.
And Zambia Qualifications Authority director and chief executive director Mirriam Chiyaba said it was wrong for one to pay money in order to obtain a qualification as that would make it appear that one was buying it.
In an interview yesterday, Ms Chiyaba said according to the guidelines stipulated by the Zambia Qualifications Authority (ZQA) persons with Honorary Degrees or PHDs could not be recognised as those with academic papers. She said persons with academic qualifications could be recognised world over unlike honorary qualifications and that they needed to indicate HC after the title to indicate that it was an honorary degree. Ms Chiyaba urged the public not to entertain unscrupulous and questionable learning institutions offering such services.
‘‘ A person with an Honorary Degree or PHD should not use the title just like that but needs to indicate HC to differentiate with those having academic qualifications,’’ she said.
Ms Chiyaba said learning institutions both local and international offering Honorary Degrees needed to specify what achievements and success they were offering a particular candidate.
