Prof Joshua Alabi Clarifies GTEC’s SMC Doctorate Description

Former UPSA Vice‑Chancellor Prof. Joshua Alabi has slammed the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission’s recent pronouncement that Swiss Management Centre doctorates are “fake”, warning the blanket label ignores earlier regulator approvals.

Alabi made the comments as he accepted an honorary doctorate from the University of Professional Studies, Accra, in recognition of his transformational leadership while serving as Vice‑Chancellor. He argued that the GTEC statement overlooks the fact that, at the time many lecturers enrolled in the SMC programmes, the former National Accreditation Board – now GTEC – had formally recognised and registered the Swiss institution in Ghana.

“Many of these professionals undertook their studies based on the assurances and information available from our national regulator,” Alabi said. He added that the sweeping characterisation unfairly damages the reputations of past vice‑chancellors, governors’ advisors, deans, heads of departments and lecturers who pursued the qualifications in good faith.

Alabi explained that UPSA conducted a thorough due‑diligence exercise before permitting its staff to enrol in SMC’s doctoral programmes. The checks included:

• Verification and confirmation from the then National Accreditation Board (now GTEC);
• Additional verification through the Swiss Embassy in Ghana; and
• 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 remarked.

The former Vice‑Chancellor urged GTEC to adopt greater clarity, fairness and sensitivity when communicating regulatory decisions, noting that such statements have far‑reaching implications for the careers and reputations of Ghanaian academics and professionals.

Alabi concluded by calling for a dialogue with GTEC to review the evidence and, if necessary, revise the current stance on SMC doctorate holders. He said a balanced approach would protect both the integrity of Ghana’s tertiary system and the legitimate achievements of its scholars.

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