PhD pursuit: Between scholarship and titular prestige

Borneo Post

5 days ago

Photo of PhD graduates, ready to receive their scrolls. — Photo courtesy of Nottingham University
KEEN to wear the 'Dr' title before your name?
It's only natural to get an affirmative response from locals, but not from Westerners who prefer to be addressed by first name.
Have you embarked on the journey to get one?
While most people would pursue a legitimate academic path after finishing their undergraduate and master's degrees, many others would choose online degree mills, and some may even contemplate shortcuts where money and a fast track go hand in hand.
My experience with the old-school academic approach has prompted me to concentrate my thoughts on PhDs rather than DBAs, yielding in the process some enlightening conclusions from a comparative standpoint.
PhDs and DBAs are two separate entities, and the academic traditions which have shaped them differ.
In light of widespread availability of academic programmes, formal and short term, offered outside the traditional domain, the pursuit of a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) degree has become a contentious issue capable of igniting passionate discussions among even the most level-headed critics.
What with the growing number of institutions offering dubious post-graduate degree, including several online sites, and equally increasing number of people keen to have an extra title after their name.
Growing wave of 'credentialism'
Such an incendiary atmosphere is caused by the unrestrained mushrooming of shady degree programmes, the vast majority of which are provided by online mills.
This is attributed to a growing wave of 'credentialism' in society, where the acquisition of a glittering title has a tendency to suppress the actual essence of scholarship.
Laisses-faire economics underscore the growing credentialism trend in which 'supply and demand' are as real as in the open market.
The desire to get a PhD, which has become very popular and commercialised, raises numerous concerns regarding the quality and honesty of the examination system.
This has caught the attention of higher education planners and academics. Not only are PhDs on the bucket list, so are post-graduate master's degrees.
It's a lucrative business for the degree pedlar. Who cares whether it is recognised or not, as long as the person concerned gets to use the prefix 'Dr' before his name and be addressed by the eponymous name thereafter.
The urge to acquire a PhD, which has become popular and commercialised, makes people question the honesty and integrity of the grading system.
In the past, the pursuit of a PhD was regarded as a challenging route to mastering a subject and doing research that changed the way people thought.
But today, some institutions are known to be giving out doctorates that are bogus, but cleverly packaged in an impressive style with artful persuasion.
Much of this is detectable in online programmes or remote learning.
The discernible cannot help but raise questions about the validity and usefulness of the degree.
Seeking extra qualification
This was supplemented by an apparent social transformation of professionals seeking extra qualifications for perceived professional advantage, and thereby, it has made a society in which the status of the PhD is more at risk than ever.
Backgrounding this is a growing credentialism trend in our society, where title and recognisable social status matter.
What is concerning to well-meaning critics is that the availability of certain programmes devalues the worth of the doctorate, confused as it is between true scholarship quality and 'title shopping'.
Furthermore, the intentions of those applying for a PhD simply for the additional prestige value, and not necessarily because of research enthusiasm are questioned; thereby, warranting further investigation of the purpose and destiny of doctoral education offered by dubious bodies.
The highest academic award given by universities is a PhD, which is evidence of having vast knowledge and expertise in a selected field of study.
It is achieved through the completion of tremendous amounts of original research, culminating in a thesis that contributes to the study field.
The core of a PhD is independent study and research, where the student will be completely immersed in an extremely narrowed subset of material, generally to the innovation level.
This puts to shame those holders of bogus degrees acquired through dubious means.
'Empty doctorates'
It is only proper that one must be motivated by scholarship passion and the need to engage in research of value for the community during the study for a PhD.
There has also been a despicable tendency for individuals, who are not devoted to authentic scholarship, to seek 'empty doctorates'.
The 'Dr' title is more vital to them than real research work, intellectual maturity, and critical thinking that come with a PhD.
This hollow quest is likely to result in the publication of subpar research, weaken academic integrity through data manipulation or plagiarism, and ultimately, tarnishes the legitimacy of the PhD degree.
In this, the extensive use of artificial intelligence (AI) to retrieve the required material and publish the same in their assignment as if it is theirs, speaks badly of this dubious path.
Setting aside scruples, they choose the path of obtaining a great label above giving value to society and the subject of study.
They are motivated by social status, or ego, rather than a genuine desire to be of use and relevance to the changing ecosystem of the wider community.
People who come into the PhD with guns blazing, even if it means taking shortcuts to get an ersatz degree, are motivated by an endless desire to be recognized, respected, and professionally upgraded.
'Magic pass'
They may consider a doctor's degree as the 'magic pass' – a means of deceiving the system in order to become better in opportunities and famous.
But their actions indicate an unawareness of the true value of a PhD, not just in the piece of paper itself, but in intellectual growth, diligence and analytical thinking that it signifies.
This desperation might stem from uncertainties, family or social pressures, or simply a false belief that the aims warrant the means.
There are many of them in our midst today, posing as people of knowledge and half-baked authorities in some specific fields, but quickly backing down when challenged to engage in a debate or in-depth discourse in which they claim to be conversant.
The standard advice is for these people to revisit their reasons and the ultimate fallout of what they are doing.
A fake degree will give a short-lived thrill, but it will ultimately implode like a fragile bubble.
The innate ability cannot be created, and the moral backlash of presenting oneself falsely is enormous.
Instead, focus on acquiring real skills and intelligence, seeking out real education streams, and gaining a solid work ethic.
Self-satisfaction and pride in having achieved the real thing is always better than a temporary gain from an imitation credential.
Study other career-building materials that will push your capabilities and interests, and consult with guidance counsellors and mentors who provide frank and realistic criticism.
'To be accepted, respected'
The desire to be accepted and respected by expert communities can be a powerful driver, and sometimes, it can lead one to questionable ethical boundaries.
The need to present oneself as capable and competent, especially when in the company of highly educated peers, can leave one with the feeling of having to compromise rules concerning ethics in pursuit of perceived status.
With others, the acquisition of pseudo qualifications is so that they can acquire the title of 'Dr', or that of possessing qualifications in which they think will immediately win them people's hearts and gain them respect and credibility.
What is frightening about making this choice is the evident absence of legislative provisions within most laws against the misuse of such titles; i.e., there exists a conspicuous loophole in law concerning professional titles and qualifications.
This absence of control makes the fraud possible, which may undermine the validity of legitimate professionals and the validity of legitimate qualifications.
Personal aggrandisement
The pursuit of true scholarship, driven by a thirst for knowledge and a desire to contribute meaningfully to a field, stands in stark contrast to the pursuit of personal aggrandisement, where academic endeavours are primarily seen as a means to elevate one's status, power, or financial gain.
This duplicity is particularly vile in the ambiance of the craze of pseudo-PhD programmes.
Such programmes, with little seriousness in terms of scholarship and serious intellectual curiosity, are not doing justice to the sanctity of the bona fide doctoral programme.
They tend to offer a bargain-basement way of satisfying the illusion of respectability.
Far from offering any scope for genuine intellectual growth and leading to the spread of knowledge, they inflate egos and cheapen the toil and effort that go into serious scholarship.
The mass availability of such 'degree mills' undermines educational integrity badly.
They water down the value of real PhDs, leading to a society where credentials become increasingly detached from real knowledge.
Their bearers can proceed and continue to further take advantage of their degrees for professional and personal gain, which has the potential to mislead employers, customers, and society.
It is interesting to observe that many with bogus doctoral qualifications or other degrees earned through dubious means are able to present themselves confidently and impress the crowd in a public gathering.
Although initially, they may get away unnoticed or unquestioned, they would have to bear the weight of shame and guilt when eventually the glittering glass cracks open.
Erosion of faith in scholarship
In addition, degrees, whether at undergraduate or post-graduate level, earned through dubious means could result in the gradual erosion of faith in scholarship and research conducted by them.
This hinders actual scholarship from moving forward.
Therefore, it is important that qualifications done in academia are properly scrutinised critically, and one selects those institutions that search for honest research and actual intellectual development rather than those offering speedy and convenient route to a renowned degree.
It is worth noting that Malaysia prohibits the use of bogus or phoney degrees in order to maintain educational integrity and professional standards.
Laws like the Universities and University Colleges Act 1974 (UUCA), in effect, criminalise fake institutions and the use of unrecognised qualifications.
However, how effective the enforcement has been in curbing the operation of institutions, which offer bogus or substandard degree courses, cannot be ascertained and is left to be desired.
* Toman Mamora, PhD (Nottingham UK) Social Anthropology.
• Tokoh Media Sarawak
• Communication and research consultant Doctor of Philosophy doctorate PhD