Dear Editor,
I HAVE noticed that Mr. Ali posted a certificate purporting to be a post-graduate certificate in finance from the Anglia Ruskin University in the UK in February of 2018.  Out of curiosity, I decided to check out this university to see the programmes being offered.

The first point to note is that this university doesn’t offer any online courses. All the courses are full-time, so, if Mr. Ali had completed this programme, he would have had to go to the UK sometime during the year 2017, bearing in mind that a post-graduate certificate takes one year to be completed.

But a perusal of the parliamentary Hansard would show that Mr. Ali was present during all the parliamentary sittings for 2017 and 2018. Therefore, the logical question to ask, then, would be: how did Mr. Ali obtain a post-graduate certificate in finance and he didn’t leave Guyana for any considerable period of time? Even if you are a PPP/C supporter, this question will linger in your mind.

The other thing that baffles me is that the Anglia Ruskin University doesn’t offer a post-graduate course in finance; rather, they offer an accounting and finance MSc (Masters). You can check it out for yourself at https://www.anglia.ac.uk/study/course-search.

Where did Mr. Ali get that certificate from? This seems to be academic fraud to me; and academic fraud is a threat to the intellectual integrity on which the advancement of knowledge depends. The world over, academic qualifications are held in high esteem; as such, they are viewed as the reliable and trusted proxy for the knowledge, competencies and skills of the bearer. There seems to be a new trend, with many degree or diploma mills that generate bogus qualifications to clients who have not undergone the purported studies.

Because of the negative impact that this can have on the students in Guyana and the country’s world standing as a whole, I have decided to report this matter to the university. As such, it is presently under investigation by the Anglia Ruskin University.

Regards
Shawn Sam