At a recent ceremony where Prof. Joshua Alabi, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), was honored with an honorary degree for his transformational leadership, he took a moment to challenge the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission’s (GTEC) recent declaration regarding doctorate degrees from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC).
Prof. Alabi questioned GTEC’s blanket branding of SMC-awarded doctorates as “fake,” arguing that such a sweeping pronouncement overlooks the historical and regulatory context in which many Ghanaians obtained these qualifications. He recalled that, at the time, numerous professionals—including UPSA lecturers, enrolled in SMC’s doctoral programmes based on assurances from the then National Accreditation Board (NAB), now GTEC, which gave recognition and registration to SMC in Ghana.
“Many of these professionals undertook their studies based on the assurances and information available from our national regulator,” Prof. Alabi stated during his acceptance speech. He described it as both unfair and damaging to brand the qualifications of hardworking Ghanaians as “fake” when they acted in good faith, relying on documentation from state authorities.
Prof. Alabi highlighted that these SMC graduates are not just ordinary professionals, but also respected academics and leaders—former Vice-Chancellors, advisors to governors, Deans, Heads of Departments, and lecturers.
He also revealed that UPSA had carried out rigorous due diligence before allowing its lecturers to pursue doctoral studies at SMC. The university’s verification process included:
Confirmation from the then NAB (now GTEC)
Additional validation through the Swiss Embassy in Ghana
Direct institutional verification in Switzerland
“These steps were taken meticulously to ensure that the institution met the necessary standards before any UPSA lecturer was allowed to enrol,” he emphasized.
Prof. Alabi concluded by urging GTEC to communicate regulatory decisions with clarity, fairness, and sensitivity, especially when such statements can have serious implications for the careers and reputations of Ghanaian professionals and academics.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
