The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has issued a public warning on the improper use of honorary doctorate titles, following increasing concern over individuals using such titles for academic or professional recognition.
Prof Joy C. Kwesiga, the NCHE Chairperson, emphasised that honorary degrees—known as honoris causa—are not academic awards and therefore should not be used for academic, professional, or work-related purposes. The Council clarified that these awards are strictly ceremonial, meant to honour individuals for their outstanding public service or contributions to specific sectors.
“An honorary award (Honoris Causa) is not an academic award and cannot be used for academic or professional purposes,” she noted.
She also pointed out that honorary doctorates in Uganda are only conferred by public universities and must be approved by the institution’s Senate. Foreign honorary doctorates must also be subjected to NCHE’s recognition process to be considered valid in Uganda.
According to NCHE, misuse of the title “Doctor” by honorary degree recipients has become a widespread issue. The Council advised recipients to clearly indicate the honorary nature of their awards, using formats like “LLD (Hon. Causa),” “DSc (Hon. Causa),” or “Dr. (Hon. Causa)” to avoid misleading the public.
“Members of academia, the public and media should NOT address a recipient of a honorary degree orally or in writing as ‘Doctor’,” stated Prof Kwesiga.
The NCHE outlined three legitimate categories of honorary doctorates: Doctor of Laws (LLD) for contributions to law, public service, or governance, Doctor of Letters (D Litt) for achievements in arts, literature, or the humanities and Doctor of Science (DSc) for outstanding scientific or technical contributions.
The Council further warned against issuing honorary degrees to individuals without prior academic qualifications or without a demonstrated record of national service.
“It is against this background that NCHE calls for strict adherence to these guidelines to avoid embarrassing the nation’s higher education sector,” added Prof Kwesiga.
She urged all higher education stakeholders and the public to comply with these standards, reminding them that the misuse of honorary titles diminishes the integrity of Uganda’s academic system.