Somewhere in the grand corridors of self-importance, a few honorary degree holders are probably clutching their certificates in despair.
The Malawian National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has just delivered a scathing diagnosis: that honorary doctorates do not make one a doctor.
And, in a particularly tragic turn for the honorific-loving crowd, the council has outlawed the very thing that fuels their adulation—being addressed as “Dr.”
In its statement, NCHE made it clear that an honorary doctorate is not an academic qualification, but a ceremonial honour. It further warned that neither the media nor the public should refer to recipients as “Doctor.”
One might imagine the collective gasp from a certain category of socialites and business moguls across in the Peril of Africa—those who have long relished the added gravitas of “Dr” before their names.
Malawi’s declaration may not hold legal weight beyond its borders, but its implications are hard to ignore. After all, Uganda has had its own honorary degree drama.
Not too long ago, Minister Lilian Aber found herself at the mercy of social media after she updated her Twitter account to “Dr Lilian Aber” following an honorary doctorate from Uganda Christian University.
The backlash was swift, and the title quietly vanished from her profile.
This brings us to the Ugandan hall of honorifics, where a number of well-known figures have built brands around their “doctorates.” Sudhir Ruparelia, the business magnate, has been awarded multiple honorary doctorates and is frequently addressed as “Dr Sudhir.”
Balaam Barugahara, the events and business impresario turned youth minister, is similarly no stranger to the honorary title. Whether by personal insistence or sheer devotion from their fans, their doctorates have become part of their public identities.
Yet, if they were to take a page from Malawi’s new playbook, they might have to rethink how they brand themselves.
According to NCHE, an honorary degree belongs in the “achievements and awards” section of a résumé—not as a professional title.
“The recipient of an honorary doctorate degree should not address himself or herself as ‘Doctor,’” the statement reads with a finality that must feel like a cruel joke to some.
For now, Uganda’s academic regulators have not issued a similarly blunt ruling, leaving the honorary doctors free to continue their reign—at least until the next online outrage erupts.
But with Malawi leading the charge, one can only wonder whether other countries might soon follow suit, forcing a quiet but painful retirement of honorary titles.
Until then, “Dr” remains a matter of perception. And for those who have built their personas around it, that perception may soon need a prescription.
