Number of fake university certificates sees overall decline

During the four years from 2009 to 2022, there was a gradual decrease in forgery cases involving university and professional certificates as a result of the implementation of anti-counterfeiting mechanisms, according to a recent report of Kuwait’s anti-corruption authority.

The fourth annual report of anti-corruption strategy for the year 2023, issued by anti-corruption authority Nazaha, was presented in March.

It notes that the verification of academic degrees was carried out by the Civil Service Commission which sent official letters to all ministries and government agencies under its supervision, asking for comprehensive data on the higher educational certificates of all employees, citizens, and residents as well as copies of academic qualifications, area of specialisation, university of issuance, country of issuance, and certificate equivalency.

As a result of the crackdown a total of 49 problematic certificates, both academic and professional, were detected in the five years starting from 2019 and ending in 2023.

The report indicated that the number of fake university certificates detected had gradually decreased from 25 fakes in 2019 to only two in 2022.

However, the report indicated that in 2023 alone, the Ministry of Higher Education detected four cases relating to higher educational qualifications.

Fake degree-holders face url=https://kuwaittimes.com/fake-degrees-what-are-the-legal-consequences/]legal action[/url] under both Kuwait labour law and Kuwait penal law. These include revocation of employment for those found guilty along with imprisonment and-or a financial penalty.

Curriculum changes

The report also outlines efforts taken to review and update curricula related to the teaching of professional ethics in universities and institutes.

Fourteen out of the 15 private universities under the umbrella of the General Secretariat of the Council of Private Universities have begun reviewing and updating curricula related to teaching professional ethics, according to the report.

Further, the 15 faculties of Kuwait University have reviewed and updated curricula related to teaching professional ethics and 3,169 students have successfully written an examination in line with a professional ethics and integrity curricula.

The report points out that one of the most prominent courses listed at Kuwait University is Public Service and Professional Ethics which aims, among other things, to develop awareness of the values of transparency, integrity and accountability.

Kuwait as a model

Higher education expert Magdi Tawfik Abdelhamid, a professor at Cairo’s National Research Centre, told University World News that by conducting employee screening, credential verification and by teaching ethics for university students, Kuwait is taking a “pioneer role” in the Arab region when it came to “strengthening the credibility of its workforce and maintaining the integrity of academic qualifications and professional standards.

“The implication of the verification process for educational institutions and businesses hiring new university graduates is significant especially in the Arab Gulf States where foreigners make up a considerable portion of the population,” Abdelhamid said.

October 2022 statistics show there are 30 million foreign nationals residing in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region who make up approximately 52% of the total population in the region.

“Arab countries must learn from Kuwait’s experience and set up a national system for verification of academic degrees along with joining the Unified Arab System for Blockchain-based Certificate Authentication launched by the Tunisia-based Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization, which helps higher education institutions and university students verify the authenticity of their official documents,” Abdelhamid said.