Keypoints
- GTEC bans public use of honorary doctor/professor titles
- Warns of legal action and public exposure
- Seeks to uphold academic and institutional integrity
GHANA’S Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has formally banned citizens from publicly using honorary doctorate and professorial titles, warning that those who defy the directive could face legal action and public exposure.
The move is aimed at curbing what GTEC describes as widespread misuse of symbolic academic titles by politicians, religious leaders, and prominent business personalities. According to the regulatory body, the growing trend undermines the credibility of Ghana’s academic institutions and confuses the public.
In a statement signed by Acting Deputy Director-General Professor Augustine Ocloo, GTEC declared the misuse of honorary academic titles in public life as both ‘deceitful and unethical’, stressing that the practice erodes the prestige of earned qualifications.
‘This notice goes especially to politicians, businessmen and businesswomen, men and women of God, and any other category of persons to desist from officially using the honorary doctorate and professorship titles in their everyday life,’ the statement read.
Preserving academic credibility
GTEC’s directive comes amid rising concern over individuals parading honorary degrees and titles as though they were earned academic qualifications. The Commission emphasised the difference between honorary awards and genuinely earned academic degrees such as PhDs and professorships.
Doctorates are awarded after years of rigorous academic study, original research, and formal dissertation defence, while professorships are conferred on scholars who have made significant contributions to their fields, often over decades.
Conversely, honorary doctorates are symbolic gestures granted by universities in recognition of social or humanitarian contributions. They do not carry academic weight and are not meant to be used as formal academic designations.
Crackdown on title abuse and fake degrees
The directive also responds to the growing influence of ‘degree mills’—non-accredited institutions that award honorary degrees in exchange for payment. GTEC warned that this trend is contributing to the proliferation of fraudulent academic credentials, tarnishing the image of Ghanaian academia.
Officials say some individuals have been misleading the public, especially within religious and political circles, by presenting themselves as doctors or professors without having earned those titles through academic merit.
The Commission has vowed to ‘name and shame’ those who persist in using these titles improperly and may resort to legal action against repeat offenders.
Upholding academic integrity in Ghana
The enforcement of the new rule is part of a broader initiative by GTEC to restore the value of academic titles and protect the reputation of Ghana’s higher education sector.
‘The use of honorary titles without clarification misleads the public and devalues the achievements of those who have genuinely earned academic honours,’ GTEC stated.
The Commission is calling on universities and educational institutions to clearly differentiate honorary degrees from academic qualifications in their public communications and award ceremonies.
Observers say this move could lead to greater scrutiny of honorary awards and encourage a national conversation about the value and purpose of academic recognition in public life.
