Parliament debate seeks curb on honorary doctorates from non-academic bodies
Parliamentary Watch
HARARE — A proposed parliamentary clampdown on honorary doctorates issued by non-academic organisations remains under debate after MPs raised concern that unofficial awards are confusing the public and undermining earned qualifications.
Hon. Maoneke moved a motion calling on the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development to develop a policy barring non-academic institutions and individuals from issuing honorary doctorates.
The proposal also seeks rules restricting honorary doctorates to accredited academic institutions and a public-awareness campaign explaining the difference between academic qualifications and honorary titles.
Maoneke said the motion responded to what he described as a growing practice by entities without academic authority.
“We have witnessed the proliferation of non-academic entities that issue such honours, often devoid of any legitimate scholarly evaluation,” he told the National Assembly.
“This trend has not only diluted the value of the title, ‘Dr’, but has also led to significant confusion and concern within the academic community and the public.”
He said there were concerns that some honorary awards could be issued “in exchange for monetary compensation or other favours,” creating an environment that commodified academic recognition.
Maoneke said Parliament should pursue a regulatory framework defining criteria for honorary awards and limit the practice to accredited academic institutions.He further proposed that authorities should be empowered to monitor compliance and impose penalties for violations.
Hon. Maunganidze, who seconded the motion, said honorary doctorates were historically meant to recognise people who had made exceptional contributions to society, rather than being equivalent to an earned doctoral qualification.
“Unlike earned doctoral degrees, honorary doctorates are not obtained through years of coursework, original research, examination or the defence of a doctoral thesis,” Maunganidze said.
“Their prestige has always rested upon the integrity, selectivity and academic credibility of the institutions that confer them.”
He said the proposed intervention was not intended to stop universities from honouring distinguished citizens.
“This motion is not about limiting the recognition of distinguished citizens,” Maunganidze said. “It is about preserving the dignity of one of academia’s highest honours.”
Maunganidze called on the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education, the higher education ministry and accredited universities to develop clear standards, strengthen quality assurance and ensure consistency in the conferment of honorary degrees. The House adjourned the debate after the two MPs’ contributions.
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