By Prof Ratemo W. Michieka
I am an ardent reader of local dailies. Lately, there has been interesting reporting on the generous awards of Doctorate Degrees by a University in the United States by the name, Graduate College of Seminary (USA). Our good reporters have kept us informed of the “degree” recipients, awarded by the Chief Chancellor, a Prof. Clyde Rivers. There have b been very interesting reactions from our local and international scholars.
I would like to respond to this perturbing trend of events, which is targeting innocent Kenyans who may not be aware of the rigor in which a PhD. Degree is earned.
University degrees are not bought just as you cannot offer to purchase someone’s sharp brains! One earns a degree by ones sheer hard work. The demand for higher academic tittles has been manifested by the kind of behavior we have witnessed. No wonder Kenyans’ desire for higher degrees is unstoppable. To be called a Doctor or a Professor has their own academic rigor and procedure. As one of those who has been involved in the awards of higher degrees, I would like to portray what happens practically in the institutions of higher learning worldwide.
Registered universities in various countries award degrees, Bachelors’, Masters and Doctorates etc. depending on their mission and acts. To be registered to pursue Ph.D. degree say in a Kenyan university, one must meet basic requirements to be eligible. In brief, you must have a first degree, second degree or equivalents and must present a researchable proposal in front of a panel of scholars to allow you register for the same. This is a straightforward method of attaining a Ph.D. Several years are spent for research, presentations, defense and publications. It can take anywhere from three to ten years if one does not fail midway. Some people get fatigued and quite or their supervisors give up on them. Those who make it are awarded the degree in a formal congregation of the particular university. The award is given by the Chancellor n public. Senates or equivalent bodies recommend such awards and NOT individuals. That is the norm world over, and in Kenya too.
What is an Honorary Degree? It is basically an award to appreciate the exemplary work that an individual has done for the nation and the world. The recipient must have contributed to society in the advancement of learning, humanity, science or a major breakthrough unique to himself/herself. For example, a case in point is when the late Prof. Risely Tom Odhiambo was awarded an honorary degree from JKUAT, for his personal initiative in establishing (International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology) ICIPE in Kenya, a world reknown international institute on Insect research including mosquitoes. It is a living testimony to his credential and JKUAT Senate saw it fit to award him an honorary degree during my time as a Vice-Chancellor. I was proud for his achievements. Other awardees may have contributed differently but their effect must be a living testimony to justify the award. It is the Senate Sub-Committee, which vets the recipients having received the names from the Faculty. No individual will walk to the graduation congregation and announce an award without thorough vetting and approved “citation” of the recipient. The United Graduate College dishes out the degrees without a procedure and in my view they are not worthy the recognition, as nobody knows their status. I am afraid the recipients might have been misled to think otherwise Universities are measured/gauged by the quality of graduates they produce and research conducted. It is also gauged by the frequency and quality of honorary degrees it dishes out at one congregation. The academia world is mean and conservative. Scholars world over protect their titles to the last detail. It means a lot and any slightest abuse of an award raises eyebrows and leaves a lot of unanswered questions of the players. Easy come, easy go, hard work and integrity have no parallelism.
Michieka is a Full Professor, University of Nairobi
Former Vice-Chancellor, JKUAT and Director General, NEMA
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