Honorary Degrees are ceremonial awards, NCHE Warns against Misuse of Honorary Doctorates

The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) had issued a statement regarding the acquisition and use of honorary degrees in Uganda.

According to Prof. Joy C. Kwesiga, Chairperson of NCHE, “An Honorary Doctorate, also known as Honoris Causa, is awarded as a way of honoring an individual for their outstanding contribution to a specific field or philanthropic efforts.”

The NCHE guidelines clarify that honorary degrees are ceremonial awards and can only be conferred by public universities in Uganda. The guidelines also specify that honorary doctorates should not be used for academic, professional, or work-related purposes.

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Prof. Kwesiga emphasized that “an honorary award (Honoris Causa) is not an academic award, therefore, cannot be used for academic, professional, or work-related purposes.” The guidelines also outline the nomenclature for honorary awards, which should clearly specify the category of the award, such as Doctor of Laws (LLD), Doctor of Letters (DLitt), or Doctor of Sciences (DSc).

Furthermore, the guidelines advise that holders of honorary degrees should indicate that the award is honorary and not academic. For example, “Daniel Musheke, LLD (Hon. Causa)” rather than “Dr. Daniel Musheke” or “Daniel Musheke (PhD)”.

The NCHE statement aims to provide clarity on the use of honorary degrees and to advise the general public and higher education stakeholders to adhere to the guidelines to avoid embarrassment. As Prof. Kwesiga noted, “Members of the academia, the public, and media should NOT address a recipient of a honorary degree orally or in writing as ‘Doctor’.”

The guidelines also apply to foreign-awarded honorary doctorates, which will be subject to the provisions of the NCHE guidelines in recognition.

By issuing these guidelines, the NCHE aims to promote a better understanding of honorary degrees and their appropriate use in Uganda’s higher education sector.