The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has issued a warning against the misuse and misrepresentation of honorary doctorates, cautioning that these titles are not academic qualifications and should not be used as such in professional or academic contexts.
In an official press release by NCHE Chairperson Prof. Joy C. Kwesiga, the Council expressed concern over a growing trend where individuals who have received honorary degrees both locally and from abroad use the title “Doctor” in public, professional and academic settings misleading others about their credentials.
“An honorary award (Honoris Causa) is not an academic award and therefore cannot be used for academic, professional or work-related purposes,” said Prof. Kwesiga.
Prof. Kwesiga“Recipients and the public must understand the distinction between ceremonial recognition and earned academic qualifications.”
The Council clarified that only accredited public universities in Uganda are authorized to confer honorary doctorates and even then only under specific categories. These include Doctor of Laws for contributions to public service, Doctor of Letters for achievements in the humanities and Doctor of Science for accomplishments in scientific fields.
NCHE further noted that any honorary degrees awarded by foreign institutions must be evaluated and verified before being recognized in Uganda.
Prof. Kwesiga stressed that anyone receiving an honorary doctorate must clearly indicate the nature of the award.
“A holder of an honorary degree shall be required to indicate in the title that the award referred to is honorary and not academic. For example, Daniel Musheeke, LLD (Hon. Causa), or DLitt (Hon. Causa),” she stated.
She went on to caution against referring to honorary recipients as “Doctor,” emphasizing that this misrepresentation is misleading.
“Members of the academia, the public and media should not address a recipient of an honorary degree as ‘Doctor’ unless they hold an earned academic doctorate,” Prof. Kwesiga warned.
The Council called on higher education institutions, the media and the general public to adhere to these guidelines, urging, “All higher education stakeholders and the general public are advised to adhere to the above guidance to avoid embarrassment.
