The Vice Chancellors of Technical Universities of Ghana (VCTU-G) have stated that the proliferation of unearned academic titles risks the global devaluation of Ghanaian academic qualifications and have therefore backed the effort of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) in purging the system of all unearned PhD titles.

"The cumulative effect of this trend is nothing short of catastrophic for the long-term integrity of Ghana’s tertiary education system and its contribution to national development," the Chairman of VCTU-G Rev Professor John Frank Eshun said in a statement issued to support GTEC's recent effort to purge the tertiary education space of the use of honorary doctorate as titles.

Academic title fraud

 The VCTU-G said, "We deem it both necessary and urgent to add our collective voice to the national discourse on the rising phenomenon of academic title fraud."

It said the explosion of unacquired academic titles in official, professional, and public circles undermined the epistemic credibility of the country's institutions.

"Like other Acts establishing other tertiary institutions in Ghana, the Technical Universities Act, 2016 (Act 922) explicitly confers upon Technical Universities the mandate to award degrees and other qualifications through rigorous academic processes anchored in competence, applied research, and institutional integrity. 

"Yet, in recent years, we have witnessed an erosion of these safeguards through the self-ascription of academic titles by individuals who have neither undergone doctoral training nor satisfied the requisite academic protocols," the statement observed. 

Reputational risk 

It said even more troubling was the reputational risk that such misconduct poses on the international stage. 

"Ghana has, over the years, earned recognition as a leader in tertiary education within the sub-region, producing graduates, scholars, and professionals of high calibre.

"However, the unchecked abuse of academic titles threatens to damage this reputation, leading to skepticism about the authenticity of our academic credentials abroad and diminishing the employability, academic mobility, and esteem of our graduates globally," the statement said.

National response 

The VCTU-G called for a robust national response to "this encroaching menace," and urged institutions to take immediate steps to verify academic qualifications presented for employment or promotion.

 "Governing Councils must reaffirm their responsibility in safeguarding the conferral of academic honours.                     

"The media must also desist from platforming individuals whose academic claims cannot be independently verified," it added.               

While commending the GTEC for its recent crackdown, the VCTU-G urged the law enforcement agencies to assist the regulator in investigating and prosecuting fraudulent claims to deter future infractions.

It called for a moral imperative for a national reawakening and the need to restore the primacy of merit, evidence-based achievement, and intellectual integrity in both academic and public life.                                    

"The values that underpin our universities are truth, rigour, and accountability; and these must not be sacrificed at the altar of status, visibility, or opportunism.                               

The Vice Chancellors of Technical Universities of Ghana remain resolute in defending the integrity of Ghana’s tertiary education system.            

Collective effort

The VCTU-G called on all scholars, framers of policy, captains of trade, pupils of learning, and the guardians of the common weal "to join us in this noble cause, that we might uphold the credit of our institutions, preserve the honour of our academic heritage, and secure the fair future of a realm built upon knowledge, skill, and integrity."