Faking it

The ‘fake PhD’ scandal of 2009 exposed a wider net of deceit around the world. What shocked people more than the scam was the individuals benefiting. Know the lures, so that you don’t become the next ensnared.

 

It seemed like an easy way to success, glory and a prosperous career: order your qualifications online and just sit back and wait a few weeks for the certificate to materialise in your mailbox. Rather than formal academic training, said the ads, your life experience entitled you to a higher qualification – and with just a few hundred dollars they can provide you with a piece of paper to confirm this. 

 

However, this type of qualification was soon exposed to be fake, produced by one of many diploma mills; and it kick-started a scandal that drove right to the highest levels of society all around the world. Malaysia – a country which values postgraduate qualifications highly – was also set to become embroiled.

 

This incident didn’t just expose the fringes or the marginal elements of society but – according to news reports – involved academics working in respected universities and even lawmakers.

 

Revelation

By the second half of 2009, the problem of diploma mills had been known about for some time. Since 2005, the US FBI had been cracking down and prosecuting individuals responsible for churning out worthless papers purporting to be bona fide qualifications. It was reported that there were teachers in the US using fake qualifications to obtain a pay raise; these cases, however, were not isolated incidents. An Associated Press news story maintained that the list of recipients of ‘degrees’ from bogus institutions included people right at the centre of government, including people in the White House.

 

Names like Saint Regis University or the All American University hit the headlines for a while before being supposedly consigned to oblivion. These organisations raked in money from people all over the world who were eager to get qualified, be it with a high school diploma, an undergraduate degree or a PhD; you could even get a three-in-one deal!

 

Pandora’s box

With the prosecution of those responsible for one of the US’s more infamous diploma mills, the matter seemed done and over with. However, in August 2009, The Star ran an investigative report on a similar scandal in Malaysia, which also involved key decision-makers and other people of influence. While the newspaper didn’t name anyone in particular, it claimed that lawmakers and noted academics were among those who had purchased their qualifications. Parallels with the case in the US were immediately evident.

 

The report opened a can of worms:

Checkpoint

The whole episode sparked some debate at government level, with at least one lawmaker, Tuan Pua Kiam Wee, demanding answers from the Minister of Higher Education, Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled bin Nordin. However, by the end of 2009, the issue – like many others before it – had fizzled out as the newshounds found new flesh to prey on. No definable conclusion was ever reported.

 

Nevertheless, there were some important lessons to be learned from the incident. The incident strengthens the need for us to do our homework when it comes to choosing the right course and institution. With very little action, if any, taken to curb diploma mills outside the US (in many countries including Malaysia, it is only illegal to peddle diplomas within your own borders – not overseas), you need to be vigilant now more than ever when it comes to making sure that you get what you pay for. Don’t take an institution’s word for a guarantee of quality, reputation or indeed notable alumni. The list of people who have been duped into ‘endorsing’ diploma mills through the acceptance of honorary degrees even included a head of state.

 

Authenticity checks can be made through national agencies, such as the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) or its national equivalent overseas. The International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education, or INQAAHE (www.inqaahe.org) will have full details.

 

Mountain out of a molehill

It may also be prudent to check the qualifications of your teachers, if this is possible. Tuan Pua’s question in the Dewan Rakyat referred directly to this issue, ie academics calling themselves ‘doctors’ when they did not in fact rightly possess the required qualification. In some countries, this is considered fraud and is punishable by a prison term. Would you want to be taught or supervised by someone who isn’t even qualified in the subject matter?

 

Of course, this should also apply to you. For the same above reason, it should never cross your mind to pad your CV with extra qualifications – or even just that single one for which you didn’t quite get the grades or credit points to complete. At the very least, the inevitable exposure of your lie could lead to a disgraceful dismissal. 

 

Regardless, an issue like this will eventually die down, for a while, but it is likely to rear its ugly head again in the not-too-distant future. Education is no different than any other industry; while most people will try to get ahead fairly, there will be the unscrupulous few who will use foul means to get a running start. 

 

However, if you do your homework well, choose a reputable programme and put in honest efforts to complete it, you will be rewarded with the real qualifications that properly recognise your hard work and achievements.