IT no longer needs effort. If you wish to get a Master's or a Ph.D. degree in any subject it's very simple. All you have to do is get the number of one of the outlets that we call “Abu Riyalain academic shops” spread in some cities of our country. They will grant you Master's and Ph.D. degrees in various disciplines. When you call them, you will be asked to visit this imaginary academic institution, not to receive your course schedule, but to pay the amount and get the degrees required in any discipline you want. When I heard about this for the first time, I did not believe it was that easy. So I called one of these “institutions” to be answered by one of our Arab brothers who said he was Dr. Husam. I told him I wanted a Master's degree and a Doctorate in a certain discipline. He said, “Congratulations Dr. Fahd! Consider the certificate in your pocket. But you need to come here so we can complete the proceedings.” Thus ended the call. The question that comes to mind is: What has led to the popularity of these fake academic institutions in our country? The answer is very simple: There is a demand for these institutions. If there was no demand from Saudis for such services, they will all shut down. This leads us to the second question related to the first one: Why is there a frantic race to obtain the highest degrees in our society? Certainly it's not about learning or obtaining knowledge. Because if this had been the reason, people would have gone to recognized institutions which are open to everyone. Those whose main concern is learning will not accept such fake certificates. But it is merely the desire to have an undue social status without putting in any effort. Our society, unfortunately, bases appearances as a prime factor in many transactions and dealings. This motivates a lot of young people to go to these fake universities and pay whatever the amount requested in order to obtain the required certificate. So many young people surprised their friends by obtaining the title of Dr. from some countries without even going to those countries. Worse, some of them claim holding a Ph.D. from one of the universities that is based in one of the Western capitals! Yet, they would not have left Saudi Arabia even once and may not know the formulation of a single sentence in English. However, it's not only the Saudis who do this. Newspapers tell us from time to time how several foreigners have forged certificates to teach in various educational institutions or work in some hospitals. According to a recent report in Okaz newspaper, a lecturer in Educational College in Sajer used a forged MBA in economics to teach for eight years before she was caught. Without doubt such cheaters are responsible for the dismaying output of our higher education. What will be the quality of graduates who are taught by “professors” who hold fake certificates? I leave the answer for my readers. – SG The writer can be reached at [email protected] __
