Of fake degrees and exaggerated qualifications

Here’s something I wrote last week.

“Putting forward a fake degree is academic fraud which, like any other fraudulent deed, is a crime that should be vehemently condemned,” says researcher Mustafa K Anuar, a former associate professor in communications and now senior editorial writer for a local media portal.

A genuine degree is the ultimate reward for hard work, commitment and patience, he says. “But a fake degree unfairly trivialises the work of people who cherish and appreciate the value of knowledge, intellectual honesty and integrity. Buying a fake degree only cheapens oneself.”

Political science lecturer Azmil Tayeb, who is involved in the Malaysian Academic Movement (Gerak), said the demand for fake degrees is driven by the social expectations that regard a university education as a sign of success and intelligence.

“People with only vocational and non-university education should not be stigmatised and looked down upon,” he says. “Society must assure people they can still be successful in life without a university education as long as their hearts are in the right place.”

Even so, he says, the Malaysian government must come up with a list that contains the names of all known degree mills, so that employers or the public can check the qualifications of public figures in particular. Full article in World University News