Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Professor Joshua Alabi, has questioned the recent declaration by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) describing doctorate degrees awarded by the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) as “fake”.

Prof Alabi raised the concern while receiving an honorary degree from UPSA in recognition of his transformational leadership during his tenure as Vice Chancellor.

He argued that the regulator’s blanket description fails to consider the historical and regulatory context under which many Ghanaians pursued and obtained their SMC qualifications.

According to him, at the time many professionals—particularly UPSA lecturers—enrolled in SMC doctoral programmes, they did so based on assurances issued by the then National Accreditation Board (NAB), now GTEC, which had provided certain levels of recognition and registration for the institution in Ghana.

“Many of these professionals undertook their studies based on the assurances and information available from our national regulator,” he said.

He described it as unfair and damaging to brand the qualifications of hardworking Ghanaians as “fake” when they acted in good faith, relying on documentation from state institutions.

Some of these graduates, he noted, are respected academics and leaders, including former Vice-Chancellors, advisors to governors, Deans, Heads of Departments, and lecturers.

Prof Alabi further disclosed that before UPSA approved its lecturers to pursue doctoral studies at SMC, the University conducted a rigorous due diligence process.

The verification steps included:

Confirmation from the then National Accreditation Board (NAB), now GTEC

An additional validation process through the Swiss Embassy in Ghana

Direct institutional verification in Switzerland

“These steps were taken meticulously to ensure that the institution met the necessary standards before any UPSA lecturer was allowed to enrol,” he stressed.

He therefore urged GTEC to communicate regulatory decisions with greater clarity, fairness, and sensitivity, particularly when such pronouncements have far-reaching consequences for the careers and reputations of Ghanaian professionals and academics.